A Different Fate
by Thanaturge
Summary: In a last ditch effort, Jin tackles Nu into the Cauldron himself, leaving Ragna at the gate, changing history forever. Hurled back in time with the Murakumo Unit, both are offered to become "real heroes" by Rachel. Not knowing what to do, Nu decides to follow Jin in his journey as Hakumen.
1. Prologue

**Hello, and welcome! This is my first ever time writing for BlazBlue, so be warned it won't be absolutely perfect. I hope that you enjoy, though!  
**

* * *

"No! Get your hands off of my brother, you bitch! You biiitch!" Jin Kisaragi screams from the floor, somehow finding a way to stand up on his own two feet after all of the injuries that he had went through. He charges towards his beloved brother and the girl that was about to take him away.

Jin is not going to have any of that.

"You're still up? Hang on, Ragna... I'll take care of this nuisance... and then we can finally be together forever..." the girl says, putting down Ragna the Bloodedge. She turns towards Jin, an emotionless look on her face. It was a stark contrast to the happy smile that she was donning earlier.

Jin can't lie and say that the girl in front of him is making his knees shake in fear, but he shrugs it off. There is no time to be afraid. He may be injured, and his fighting ability may be greatly hindered, but there is still one last thing that he can do. One last thing to protect his brother from the evil in front of him.

"Jin you idiot, what are you doing!?" Ragna yells, reaching out towards Jin. His injuries force him to the ground, making him unable to get up onto his feet to stop his brother from what he was about to do.

Jin grits his teeth as he tackles the girl, who continues to stare at him blankly. Only now does that fade away. She begins to panic, slowly realizing what Jin was doing.

"JIN!" Ragna yells one more time, struggling to his feet. He tries to grab at Jin, tries to stop him from what was about to happen, but he is too late.

Jin falls down along with the girl, going into the Cauldron below. Ragna gives one last final scream before giving up on trying to reach for his brother.

* * *

Jin opens his eyes to find himself looking up at the star-littered night sky with the full moon shining brightly down onto him. He slowly reaches towards the moon, watching as his hand eclipses it, and clenches his fist. He hates the moon. He had gotten over his fear of the moon after some time, but... he still disliked the sight of it.

He gets up and looks around, noticing that he's currently standing on top of a hill. How did he get here? Wasn't he fighting against that girl that was trying to take away Ragna from him?

Speaking of the girl, he jumps when he notices that she is standing right in front of him, a blank expression on her face. The same blank expression that she wore when they fought.

He puts his hand on Yukianesa in preparation for an attack from her. However, it doesn't come.

"Where... am I...?" the girl asks.

Did she not recognize him as the man she was fighting with such tenacity earlier? Jin decides to take his hand off Yukianesa, in case it would provoke her into attacking again. He was too injured to fight back. He wouldn't be able to defend himself.

"Now... this is quite interesting indeed," another voice that was unknown to the man says. Jin turns around, making sure that he kept a good eye on the girl that was attacking him before, to see a frail looking little girl standing there, her dress billowing in the wind.

"I suppose that Beast is an inevitability, no matter what happens... very well then... Mr. Hero, how would you like to become an actual hero?" the woman asks Jin. "Oh, and I suppose you can too if you so wish."

He already knows who the girl is talking about. The other girl that is standing behind him. He turns to her, staring at her with a cold expression. What was her answer going to be?

"...I do not comprehend," the girl says.

"Do you wish to die?" the sudden question startles both Jin and the other girl. What kind of question was that?

"No," an immediate response that Jin expects. No one wants to die.

"Then come with Mr. Hero and I. You shall live if you do," the girl says.

'If only this monster could die...' Jin thinks coldly. He _knew_ that he had killed her before. How did she rise from the ground after that strike? It was impossible. This girl must be some kind of monster.

"What are you talking about when you ask her if she doesn't want to die?" Jin asks, curious as to why she would ask such a question.

"Because, Mr. Hero, there is a great travesty that is shaking the world to its very core. I am sure you know what I'm speaking of?" the girl says.

The Black Beast. But that was impossible, wasn't it? That was 100 years ago!

Jin saw no other choice but to go with the girl that stood before him.

'I have no idea where I am... I'm stuck here with the girl that attempted to kill my brother and I don't even know what to call her, and this woman is suddenly saying that the Black Beast is here!? There's something fishy going on, and if I follow her I might get answers,' Jin thinks.

But why would the girl that was behind him so readily accept the woman's offer? He supposes that it's because everything that's alive has that innate desire to preserve.

Suddenly, he feels himself getting whisked away by a gust of wind. It looks like he wasn't going to be able to decide, anyway.

* * *

Jin looks around once more to find that he was inside of a castle. Taking a look outside of the nearby window, he sees that there are millions upon millions of roses littering the ground outside. Does that mean something?

He finds himself laying down in a bed, and next to him was the girl that blankly stared at him.

"What do you want?" Jin asks coldly, trying to move himself. His injuries wouldn't allow that, however, sending a searing pain shooting up his body. It looked like he wouldn't be able to move for a while.

"Who... are you...?" the girl asks.

Jin scoffs. "I am Major Jin Kisaragi."

"Mr. Hero..." the sudden sound of the girl from before's voice startles him. "What is the last thing that you remember?"

"The last thing that I remember... I... Tsubaki... Brother..." the last thing that he can remember clearly is the fight that broke out at the Gate in Kagutsuchi. He didn't want to recall the details. Thinking back on what had happened, he mentally scolds himself. 'How could I have done that to her...?'

"I see... You are experiencing a side effect of the Boundary, what you fell into when you oh-so-heroically jumped into the Cauldron," the girl says.

"What is your name?" Jin asks before she gets into anything further.

"My name is Rachel Alucard," the girl responds rather quickly. "In the future do try to not interrupt me in the middle of my talking."

"What were you talking about when you asked me if I wanted to become a hero?" Jin asks, not caring if she was about to continue speaking. He wanted his answers, and he wanted them now.

"I was about to say, however you interrupted me once more. We will have to try to improve your rather crude behavior," Rachel says. "Before I say anything else, however, you must recover your strength. Now would be the perfect time to get to know your new partner. I will tell you that you have been sent backwards through time along with the girl. I will be taking my leave now. Rest."

She stands up from the chair that she was sitting on, which Jin notices was a cat-like creature, and walks out the door.

"I am Boundary Interface Prime Field Device #13... Nu," the girl says.

'So then... this is what happened after I tackled her into the Cauldron? I was sent into the Boundary and I was cast backwards in time along with this girl, to the time period that the Black Beast existed in!? That is all that I can muster up out of this. It's confusing... but I suppose that I will have to go with this until later,' Jin thinks. 'For now I suppose I should do what this Rachel person says and recuperate. I need my full strength if I am going to be locked in combat with the Black Beast, something that I plan to do. After all... it's my destiny to destroy it.'

Nu continues to stare at Jin as he closes his eyes and starts to sleep. She doesn't have the need for sleep, but she eventually closes her eyes too.

* * *

Jin wakes up from harsh pokes to his already bruised shoulders. He turns his head and glares at the offender: Nu. She stares at him with the same blank expression that he is sure is the only expression she can muster up to make.

"Why are you waking me up?" Jin asks irritably. He wanted his rest, not to get poked by some kind of monster.

"Rachel has ordered me to wake you up so that you may come down into the basement alongside me," Nu responds. Jin sighs heavily as he gets up, cringing in pain as his body screamed at him to stop moving it.

He can't believe that the girl that had done all of that damage to him was staring at him, waking him up so that he could come downstairs into the mansion's basement for something that concerned him.

What, was she his sister now or something to that extent?

Something doesn't sit right with that remark, and Jin ignores it, walking out of the room. This is where the tricky part came in. He didn't know where to go now.

"Jin Kisaragi and Nu, I presume?" an old voice asks as they walk through the hall, startling Jin. He didn't see anyone there! Maybe it was these godawful injuries that were doing it to him, keeping him on edge.

'Am I losing my touch?' Jin asks himself. The old man smiles warmly at him. He is dressed in a fancy, grey suit and has long, grey hair tied in a ponytail.

"I am Valkenhayn R. Hellsing. I will be leading you towards the basement of the mansion per Madam Rachel's request," the man says, bowing to the two. Jin silently thanks the gods above for sending someone to bring him down to where he needed to go.

If he didn't notice from when he looked out the window, this castle, mansion, whatever you wanted to call it, is huge. It also has a Halloween theme to it, Jin notices. He wonders what kind of people live in here.

Without any further words, the old man bows to Jin and leads the two down to the basement. Jin occasionally looks back at Nu to see her looking around, a look of curiosity on her face.

'So, she does have some semblance of emotion,' Jin thinks.

* * *

Jin looks at the armor in front of him with awe. It's unlike anything that he has ever seen before. It is a pristine white. Jin was sure that if light would shine down on it, the armor would reflect it. Beside the armor lies a sword that was as long as he is tall.

The girl that called him here in the first place smiles at the expression on his face. It was faint, but it was a smile.

"So, this is what you called me down here for..." Jin says, looking at Rachel.

"Yes, Mr. Hero. I do believe you like what you see as well," Rachel says. "This is the Susano'o Unit. I brought you here to tell you that this could be the armor that you wear to battle the upcoming disaster. However, whether you wish to continue fighting or not is up to you. As soon as you put this on, you cannot take it off. You will be bound to this for an eternity."

That doesn't sit right with Jin.

"The face you're making tells me that you should put a lot of time into thinking about donning this or not. Very well, I shall give you ample time. One week," Rachel says. "Now then, Nu. I called you down for a reason as well. When you fell through the Boundary, did you notice anything change within you?"

Nu looks confused as she tries to answer the question. A small smirk spreads across Rachel's face

"You have been slowly gaining a will of your own," Rachel says. "I do not know how long it will take for you, but you are slowly becoming less of a pathetic doll and more of a human being."

'How could I not have noticed? She was acting differently as she was walking with me to the basement...' Jin thinks, cursing himself for being so inattentive. However, it's not like he cares, anyway.

"Mr. Hero, Nu, you are dismissed. Valkenhayn, escort them out and back to their rooms," Rachel orders. Valkenhayn bows and ushers the two to follow him, leading them out of the basement.

* * *

Jin sits down on a chair while in the garden, watching the rose field intently. He comes here from time to time when he wants to think, and the past week was filled with a lot of thinking. Today is the final day that he has to think about the Susano'o Unit and wearing it into battle.

He is sure about what he wants do to, but he needs that one, final push towards his decision.

His eyes guide his vision towards Nu, who is sitting down in the garden.

"Why does she look so familiar...?" Jin asks, staring at Nu as she stands up and walks through the garden, a curious look on her face. "I feel like I know this girl from sometime ago, but that can't be. The first time I met that girl she was attacking Ragna."

The girl is wearing a leftover white dress, given to her by Valkenhayn for clothes while he washes both Nu's and Jin's clothing. They were stained in blood, and to Valkenhayn, it looked rather repulsive.

Jin wears a simple outfit. Normal pants with a normal shirt to go with it. It wasn't too flashy and it wasn't too special.

Nu's hair starts to blow freely in the wind, the braid that she usually has it tied up in gone.

That fact alone is what made Jin ask that question.

The only other girl he could remember looking like that was his sickly younger sister, Saya.

Jin's face twists with disgusted realization. This girl looks exactly like Saya! And this wasn't a coincidence, either. The resemblance is too perfect. Is this girl Saya? No, that can't be. Saya speaks in a completely different way. Acts in a completely different way as well.

"Jin, are you okay?" instantly the girl is in front of him. She must have walked up to him while he wasn't paying attention. The sudden 'realness' to her voice startles Jin. Over the past few days she had been slowly gaining a semblance of humanity... but how human could a machination be?

"I'm fine. Leave me be," Jin snaps, glaring at the eyepatch wearing girl.

As Nu leaves, out of the corner of his eye Jin sees Valkenhayn approach. His senses were coming back to him, slowly, surely.

"It would be wise not to treat the young lady like that. She is still developing her humanity, and I fear for how she will act if you continue to treat her coldly," he says.

"I have a strange sense of familiarity with her. She looks exactly like my younger sister," Jin says.

"With all due respect, Mr. Kisaragi, then treat her like one," Valkenhayn suggests.

"Hmph," Jin scoffs.

"Have you thought about the Susano'o Unit any?" Valkenhayn asks, taking a seat next to Jin.

"Yes, I have. I have decided that this crippled body of mine will serve me none on the battlefield. I will don the armor," Jin says.

"You know of the risks?" Valkenhayn asks.

"Yes, I do. This is my decision," Jin nods slowly.

"You are brave indeed," Valkenhayn notes.

"But first, I shall work to change myself," Jin says, surprising the old butler.

"What will you do?"

"I will take your advice, and speak with Nu," Jin states.

"I see. I wish you luck, Jin Kisaragi," Valkenhayn stands from his chair and slowly walks away, leaving Jin to his lonesome again.

"Are you sure you're okay?" her voice asks. Jin turns around to see Nu staring at him. Did she ever really leave? Or, maybe she has the uncanny ability to get anywhere without being noticed.

"Yes, Nu, I'm fine," He almost slips, catching himself before he said Saya.

"Are you going to put that on?" she asks. He knows what she's referring to. The Susano'o Unit.

"Of course," Jin nods.

'It's funny, in all honesty. I suppose that when you are hurled through the Boundary, you change for better or for worse,' Jin thinks. A moment of silence is shared between the two of them, not knowing what to say. Nu looks up to the sky and stares at the moon.

"I like the moon," the girl says, looking back to Jin.

"Why?" Jin asks.

"I... don't know. It... it's... pretty," Nu says.

"Well, I don't like the moon at all," Jin says.

"Why?" Nu asks.

"That answer is not for your ears," Jin responds coldly.

* * *

"Mr. Hero, tell me this: what is a hero?"

Jin stands before the armor in the basement once more, paying more attention to the Susano'o Unit itself than the small girl in front of him. Nu is standing by his side, taking great interest in the question that Rachel asked.

"A hero? You want me to give you what my belief of a hero is?" Jin asks incredulously. "Why would you want that?"

"To determine if you have matured enough to wear the Susano'o Unit," Rachel states.

"A hero, eh? Well, I do not know much about that. All that I do know, however, is that 'hero' is a title given to you by the people," Jin responds.

"I suppose I can take that answer. You are in the right mindset, at least," Rachel says. "Go on, it is yours now." She gestures towards the Susano'o Unit, and Jin does not hesitate in moving towards it.

"Now then, another question, if I may. Nu, you have had a week to yourself to figure what your path in life will be from now on. What is your decision?" Rachel asks.

While Jin was thinking about the Susano'o Unit, Nu had been thinking about her very own existence. Ever since she had passed through the Boundary, new things were rising up within her. She didn't know how to handle it, and she still doesn't know how. She realized on the third day that her systems seemed to have been wiped, and she must start with them anew.

All of her past data was gone. All that is left in her memory is a silver haired man that she doesn't know the name of, and her time with Jin. She feels that the silver haired man is important, but no matter how hard she thinks about it, nothing comes to her. She is still in the dark.

"What will you do with your life?" Rachel presses, taking on a semi-annoyed tone at her lack of an answer.

"I... I will assist Jin," Nu says.

"You wish to go with Mr. Hero on his journey, then?" Rachel asks.

"Yes. That is what I would like to do with my existence. If I stay close to him, I will find my answers. I am sure," Nu says.

"Well then... the best of luck to you," Rachel says.

Jin stares at the Susano'o Unit in awe. No matter how much he wants to, he can't bring himself to move on and put it on. He thinks that he is still unworthy of it, that he still has some thinking to do. However, a voice sounds through his head.

"Be the white void. Be the cold steel. Be the just sword. Wield the blade in your hand to reap the sins of this world and cleanse it in the fires of destruction," it says.

Jin gasps, not expecting to hear the voice in his head. Was this the Susano'o Unit itself? Is it accepting him, then? If so, then he will be the one to wear it. The armor has chosen him. He reaches forward and touches the armor.

All that he sees next is black. A dark, dark, dark black.

Then, he sees again, looking at the other three in the room, who were staring at the location the armor is at.

Jin attempts to move his hand to his face, only to see that it is the arm of the armor.

The unification was successful.

"I see... Mr. Hero, you have donned the Susano'o Unit successfully," Rachel says.

"How does it feel, Mr. Kisaragi?" Valkenhayn asks.

"No. I am no longer Jin Kisaragi. If I am to completely change, then I will abandon that name. I am Hakumen," the armor says.

"Now then, Mr. Hero... I need to tell you what the first thing you should do with the Susano'o Unit is," Rachel says. "You must take it into combat with that vile monster."

"And what would that be?" Hakumen asks. He knows the answer, however.

"Why, the Black Beast of course," Valkenhayn says.

'The Black Beast... what I am destined to destroy. Very well...' Hakumen thinks.

"Mr. Hero... now is the time you become a real hero," Rachel says as Hakumen and Nu get up. They walk towards the door, and Valkenhayn gives the two one last bow before they leave the room and the mansion itself.

* * *

'Some time has passed,' Hakumen thinks. He is surrounded by darkness, with Nu sitting down next to him. Everything after he became Hakumen is a blur to him. He can barely remember a thing.

The Black Beast...

Anything past his battle with the Black Beast is a mystery to the man. Something seems to have tampered with his own mind.

"The Edge," Nu says. Hakumen turns his armored head towards the girl. "We are inside of the Edge. I don't remember anything else... except for the Black Beast."

"So, you feel it too, Murakumo," Hakumen sighs. "How long have we been here for? Time seems to have escaped us."

Hakumen realizes that at least one hour here would drive a normal man insane. However, his strong will keeps his sanity intact. He supposes the same goes for the Murakumo.

Hakumen prepares to close his eyes to sleep and get rest. However, an unfamiliar voice awakens him and Nu.

"If you can hear me, please talk to me," the voice says. It's feminine.

Hakumen gives no response.

"Hey, if you can hear me, then say something. I can't do anything unless you talk to me."

"Who the devil are you?" Hakumen asks. Nu stands next to Hakumen, keeping herself close to the man.

"So, you're Hakumen, huh? And I suppose that other one with you is an ally? I'm gonna retrieve you now, but there is a limit to how much I can intervene on this side. So please, help out, okay?"

"He asked who you were," Nu says.

"Ah, so you speak! Really wanna know, huh? Alright... My name is Kokonoe. I'm just an ordinary scientist. I can't really answer any complicated questions. This is just a backup after all."

"A 'backup'? I suppose that makes you an owner of the Edge," Hakumen states.

"You call this the Edge? Well, it doesn't matter to me. I'm trying to retrieve the both of you, but I'm running into a bit of a problem with the reconstitution algorithm. One of my assistants is on the way there, but I don't think he'll be able to get to you. It's unstable there," Kokonoe says. "So, as much as I didn't way to... I decided to distort your casual pathways a bit."

"Casual distortion? Are you a witch?" Hakumen asks.

"Let's get the show on the road, alright?"

A familiar sensation washes over Hakumen and Nu.

"This feels like Nine..." Nu says.

"Are you her descendant, then?" Hakumen asks.

"That's not any of your damned business," Kokonoe snaps.

"I see... so I have guessed right. You are the offspring of Nine and the cat," Hakumen says. "The disruption of the Edge only proves the truth. You were born a true masterpiece, Grimalkin. A mixing of rare witch blood and mighty cat heritage."

"As much as I want to push you both back into the Boundary, I'm not about to let half a year's effort go to waste," Kokonoe says. "Are you ready?"

"Very well. We will see what we can do if you can provide me with an arrival location on the other side. We will return our own way," Hakumen says.

"We won't be able to talk for a while. Any last words?" Kokonoe asks.

"Surely you jest," Hakumen crosses his arms.

The two feel themselves getting whisked away. It worked.

* * *

A dirty lab is the first sight that Hakumen sees as he opens his eyes.

"Ah, Hakumen, you've arrived. Along with your little partner," he recognizes Kokonoe's voice. "It took you long enough!"

The woman in question is a cat-like woman with pink hair. She wears a shirt that reveals her stomach and red pants.

"Are you Kokonoe?" Nu speaks up. She usually doesn't talk, letting Hakumen do the speaking for her. It was always like that. Ever since the two left to fight the Black Beast.

"Yeah. Before you say anything else, don't bother acting like you're my friend or anything. I don't really like the two of you that much," Kokonoe says.

"Then why do you need us?" Hakumen asks.

"I really only need your body- the Susano'o Unit- for something I want to do. I would have taken your actual body and kept the Susano'o Unit for myself, but I can't do that kind of thing, so I brought the two of you here. I figured you worked best in pairs anyway."

"Then what do you require of us?" Hakumen asks as Nu starts to look around.

"I need you to just keep on existing. If you're around, then he's bound to show up," Kokonoe says.

"Ah, then you are in pursuit of Terumi..." Hakumen asks. Terumi... the bastard that betrayed all of the Six Heroes. Hakumen remembers confronting him with Nu, but that was where his memory faded away.

"Yeah. He'll show up sooner or later with you around," Kokonoe said. "So go and do whatever you want to do. I don't really care."

* * *

"Where is this place? It feels familiar..." Nu says as the two neared the city Hakumen was dead set on going towards. He wouldn't offer Nu any sort of explanation. However, now he turns towards her and stops.

"This is the 13th Hierarchical City, Kagutsuchi," Hakumen says. "The Dark One will be here soon."


	2. Chapter 1

"Must you sit on top of me, Murakumo?" Hakumen asks, letting out an annoyed grunt as he feels the girl shift her body around. It seemed to be only around him Nu started to act childish. Around anyone else, however, she would rarely speak at all.

"My legs are tired, Jin. I can't ride on your back at least once?" Nu groans.

"You realize how nonthreatening we look like this?" Hakumen asks, deciding not to comment on her calling him Jin.

The two were walking through Kagutsuchi, looking for Ragna the Bloodedge. Hakumen said that he wanted to be rid of the Dark One now. After about one hour of searching, Hakumen decided to wait for him at the place where Ragna would most definitely show up in. The NOL branch.

And that is how they got to where they are now. They walk through the bottom level of Kagutsuchi, moving towards the top, where the NOL branch is.

"Yer right about that one," a familiar voice says. Hakumen turns around to see a small cat looking up at him, wearing a yellow hood. He recognizes this cat as Jubei of the Six Heroes, one of his allies in the battle with the Black Beast.

"I never would have expected to see you here, Grimalkin," Hakumen says.

"Hey, that ain't very nice," Jubei says.

"Then perhaps you would prefer, Malkin?" Hakumen asks. Nu stifles a giggle as she once again shifts her body.

"Ya just dropped the first part... besides, who calls a cat Malkin these days anyway?" Jubei asks.

Seeing the cat again makes both Hakumen and Nu nostalgic.

"What are you doing here?" Hakumen asks.

"...Terumi's back," Jubei says. Instantly the mood drops from a somewhat happy reunion to a more serious one.

"I remember hearing your daughter say something to that extent... but I don't know how that is possible," Hakumen says.

"All the same he's on the move, so you'd best be careful. Oh, and I'd be much obliged if you didn't mention me to her at all..." Jubei says. "I'd best be on the move now. I gotta meet up with someone."

And just like that, the cat starts to jump away from the two.

"It's been a while since we talked to Jubei," Nu says. "I wish we could have had more time to talk."

"We have completely different objectives. We won't be running into him for some time," Hakumen says. "We should keep on moving towards the NOL branch. He's going to be there soon."

"Alright," Nu nods.

"Which means that you must get off of me, Murakumo!" Hakumen raises his voice. Nu laughs as she hops off from her position on top of Hakumen.

"You're no fun, Jin," Nu pouts at the armor.

"When will you stop calling me that? It is like your sole purpose is to annoy me," Hakumen states, crossing his arms.

The two had developed a close bond with each other while they were fighting the Black Beast. One could mistake the two for siblings, even. Even though Hakumen sounded angry, Nu knew that he wasn't really mad at her.

In reality, Hakumen sees Nu as a little sister, while Nu sees Hakumen as an older brother. A stern older brother, but a brother nonetheless.

The two continue their way to the NOL branch.

'I should have entered Kagutsuchi at a different, higher area. Walking through all of these areas is going to take much longer than expected, especially if we make constant stops,' Hakumen thinks.

"Jin."

'If I just ignore her maybe she will be quiet and I will have peace.'

"Jiiiin..." Nu pokes at Hakumen, much to his annoyance.

"Must you interrupt me...?" Hakumen asks.

"I'm hungry," Nu says. "Is there a place where we can eat close by?"

"A place to eat, eh? I suppose that I'll go there with you, if you accept to stop acting like a child," Hakumen says.

"Aww fine. You're a real meanie, you know that?" Nu pouts at him before starting their search for a place to eat.

Eventually, they find a place to eat: a small little restaurant that was located in Orient Town. Hakumen is thankful that they had to move up through the city to get to here, so it's like killing two birds with one stone for him. Nu will finally shut up, and he will finally get a move on towards the NOL branch.

As Hakumen walks in, he immediately notices the small, elderly woman standing directly in front of him. The way that she smiles unnerves him, as if she has some kind of ulterior motive cooking inside her brain.

He didn't trust it.

"Hello, what would you two like?" the woman has a very, very thick accent. Almost unbearably thick.

"I only would like something for the girl to eat," Hakumen says. "I will not be eating."

"Well, lucky you! We're running a special today for dates!" the old woman says, running off back to the kitchen.

"Did she say 'date'?" Nu asks. "Yuck, I'm not into suits of armor!"

"Hmm... if that is the case, I am not attracted to those made of flesh and steel," Hakumen retorts.

"For once, you've got me. I have nothing to say back to that remark," Nu says.

Nu and Hakumen sit down at the table nearest to the door and wait for their food, which promptly arrives as they sit down. It's a beautiful spread of food.

"Here you go. Perfect for romantic dinner," the old woman says, bowing to them before running back to the kitchen.

"Good guy, the food here is great, you have to trust Tao!" Hakumen hears, turning his head ever so slightly towards the door. In comes a girl wearing a hood with cat ears, her face completely covered. Behind her...

Hakumen freezes.

"Not here!" Nu, immediately knowing what the armored man was about to do, grabs Hakumen's arm and pushes him down back into his chair as he raises himself out of his seat. Ragna the Bloodedge has just walked in along with this cat girl.

"As much as I would like to stand up and rip the Dark One to shreds, you are right. Here will bring too much attention," Hakumen grumbles.

"You know, we could have avoided that little fight outside if you had just told me that you were hungry. Now sit down and stop moving around, the meat isn't going to be going anywhere," Ragna says to the girl in the hood.

"Eat fast," Hakumen stares at the girl slowly eating her food. "We must be there before he is."

"Why?" Nu asks, putting down the fork that she was using.

"...Because... if the Dark One reaches the NOL branch before any of us do, then we will have missed our chance," Hakumen says. He knows that if he doesn't show up at the branch before Ragna does, he's going to go and fight against the Murakumo Unit at the gate and lose, falling into the Cauldron and creating the Black Beast once more. Hakumen does not want that to happen, which is why he's going to the NOL branch to wait for him. Although right now was a perfect opportunity, he would rather not have a bounty on his head for killing a man in cold blood. He'd rather do what he wants to do in private.

Nu, almost understanding what Hakumen said, starts to eat faster than before, managing to wolf down the food in front of her with little to no trouble.

"With the way that you eat it is a surprise you're not overweight," Hakumen comments as he stands up. The bill that was included with thier meal surprises Hakumen with the steep price. He wouldn't be able to pay for that. "I have no money to give, so I hope you know what that means."

"Jin you're kidding me," Nu sighs. She just ate, she wasn't about to run away and make her stomach upset. She turns to where the bill for their food was, and discovers that Hakumen would never be able to pay the bill anyway. The price was way too steep for them both combined.

Hakumen carefully eyes Ragna as he continues his meal with the cat-like girl, and hoists Nu up over his shoulders.

"How degrading," he says as he bolts out the door. He would have liked to not make any noise on his way out, but since his armor was huge, it was making loud noises as he ran through the streets of Orient Town, with Nu hanging over his shoulder, an annoyed look on her face.

"We've got a dine and dasher! Get them! Don't let them escape!" the woman from before yells. Nu's eyes widen as she sees the people chasing them, and she taps Hakumen's back.

"Uh... Jin!? FASTER!" Nu yelled. Hakumen turns around quickly to see what was making Nu so frightened, and when he saw the pitchforks and torches that the crowd of people chasing them had, he too decides that it's a great idea to start running as fast as he can.

He has no idea where his legs are going to take him, but if it's somewhere away from here, it's welcome.

"It's okay, you can stop now! They gave up!" Nu says after a long time running. As Hakumen stops running, he notices that they are almost at their destination: the NOL branch. It looks like Hakumen and Nu have just a few more sections to go through, but it's there, and it's close.

"Just a little bit more, and your end will come, Dark One," Hakumen says.

"Hey, Jin..." Nu begins. She's interrupted by a figure jumping from one of the rooftops above. A fist is sent flying towards Hakumen, who easily grabs it and pushes the assailant away from him.

"I hope you know what it means to attack me," Hakumen says, already clutching his sword's handle.

In front of him is a tan man with a green outfit on which exposed his chest. He has spiky, brown hair and an X-shaped scar that runs across his face. Behind him is a nail that is as large as he is. His eyes shoot an angry glare towards Hakumen.

"Jin Kisaragi, it is high time that I found you again. It is time for us to settle this once and for all!" the man yelled, getting into a fighting stance.

"You have me confused for someone else," Hakumen says.

"Are you not Jin Kisaragi? This woman right here called you Jin!" the man says. His voice is loud.

"Oh, I'm very sorry. You see, this isn't Jin Kisaragi. You just attacked Hakumen of the Six Heroes, and his partner, Nu," Nu says.

That statement makes the man in front of them burst out laughing. "Surely you don't mean to say that you're Hakumen and Nu!? I have heard many lies in my day, but this one takes the cake as the best lie ever told. If you are Hakumen, then I am the tooth fairy!"

Nu has known Hakumen long enough to tell that whenever he is challenged, he takes up that challenge without hesitation. This was going to be long.

"Uh... Uh... Hakumen, how about we just explain the situation instead of fighting? The NOL branch, remember?" Nu asks.

"Murakumo, stand back," Hakumen says. "If you wish to know the truth, then meeting my blade will surely inform you."

"I see... then I, Bang Shishigami, will not lose!" the man yells.

Nu shakes her head. "Hakumen, I'm going to go to the NOL branch and meet Ragna there. You have your little man-off with him."

"Then be careful, Nu," Hakumen says.

As Nu leaves, Bang starts to attack. He takes a few nails out and then throws them towards Hakumen, who holds up his arm, forming a shield. The shield blocks all of the nails and Hakumen dashes in towards Bang at an incredible speed.

"That armor is fast!" Bang cries out loud as Hakumen uppercuts him. The suit of armor hops up into the air and begins to kick upwards to launch Bang into the air, but the ninja sees right through the attack.

"Pulverizing Fist!" he yells as he punches Hakumen, sending him flying into the wall of a nearby building.

"So I seemed to have miscalculated your abilities," Hakumen says. He watches as Bang charges his way, his fist drawn back and ready to attack.

"Empty Sky Form..." Hakumen begins as a red, shield-like circle appears in front of him. As Bang's fist connects with the circle, Hakumen draws his sword back and slices forward, making sure not to cut the man too badly. A glancing blow to the side would do the trick. "Winter's Riposte!"

Hakumen turns around to see Bang clutching a wound that must have already been dealt to him. Hakumen doesn't remember slashing his stomach. He remembers slashing his side instead.

"You think me so easily defeated that I would fall to an injured man!?" Hakumen asks angrily. "As I have said before, I am Hakumen of the Six Heroes."

"I see now... you are Master Hakumen, the leader of the Six Heroes, after all. I am sorry that I doubted you. If you would be so kind, would you offer me guidance?" Bang asks, sitting down on the ground since he could no longer stand.

"Guidance from me? What is it that you seek then?" Hakumen asks. He supposes that he can spare a few minutes for this injured man.

"It's all in the name of 'justice'," Bang says.

"Justice? Tell me, then. What is this justice of yours?" Hakumen asks, amused by the man. He faintly remembers his face, but he doesn't know where he knows it from. It was another mystery to him.

"I don't expect to save the entire universe, but I wish to save those that have been suffering before me. That, is my justice," Bang says.

"You have a strong spirit, and you know your limitations," Hakumen acknowledges. "If you would like guidance, then my advice to you would be to keep moving forward. However, you should think more before you act on something."

"I see... thank you, Master Hakumen..." Bang says. "I will find a place to rest and recuperate. I thank you for not taking my life, even though you had the perfect chance to. I, Bang Shishigami, will never forget what you have done for me today!"

And as suddenly as the man appeared before him, the man disappears, leaving Hakumen alone.

"I know you are there, bloodsucker," Hakumen says.

A whirl of flowers appears before Hakumen, and Rachel appears from the portal she opened.

"Your eyes are as keen as ever, Mr. Hero," Rachel says.

"Enough with the pleasantries. Why have you come here?" Hakumen asks.

"I wanted to see what you were wasting what little time you have with," Rachel says. "Honestly, Mr. Hero, do speed things up. Lest you want to sit down and twiddle your thumbs while the girl does all of your hard work for you. I do believe she should have been given the Susano'o Unit in your stead."

"Your words do not affect me, vampire. I had to deal with a minor annoyance. I will be on my way shortly," Hakumen says.

"Then I suggest hurrying up, Mr. Hero," Rachel says, disaplearing from his sight.

Hakumen starts moving toward where he remembered Nu taking off, hoping to catch up with her before anything bad happens.


	3. Chapter 2

"I hope that she didn't run off far," Hakumen thinks out loud as he silently approaches the NOL HQ. If she's still every bit of fast that he remembers her, she would already be waiting for him at the Gate by now. However, he hopes that isn't the case.

He doesn't know what will happen if his Nu and the Nu that belongs to this timeline see each other. He would rather not know what would happen, but if Nu is already at the NOL HQ, then he needs to follow Rachel's advice and hurry.

Hakumen finds himself in some kind of garden. He knows that this place is the last area of Kagutsuchi before the NOL Headquarters from past experience in his life as Jin Kisaragi.

The moment Hakumen hears the giant footsteps of... something, he turns around and sees a giant red man walking up to him.

"You... why have you come here?" Hakumen asks, his right hand moving towards the hilt of Ookami.

"You should already know, Hakumen. I came to retrieve you," the man says.

Hakumen knows this man as part of Sector Seven. The infamous Red Devil.

"To retrieve me? I do not recall making such a request," Hakumen says.

"From the moment that you were retrieved from the Boundary, Kokonoe has been your master. We can't have a domesticated hound like you roaming around now, can we?" Iron Tager asks.

Hakumen does not understand what the Red Devil's talking about. Kokonoe told him that she only needed him to be around for Terumi to show up.

Then, he realizes. No, she didn't allow him to be set free. She only needs him to be outside of the Boundary. He mentally curses himself. He should have realized that sooner.

"An interesting thing to say, Red Devil. You're saying that a dog should listen to a cat? How amusing," he returns. He cannot allow himself to be captured by the Red Devil. He needs to be here, to eliminate Ragna the Bloodedge. Nu cannot do it on her own. Hakumen knows that she can't.

"Indeed, it was a coincidence. Sector Seven aims to kill the seithr at its source. You were just something Kokonoe found along the line," Tager says. "She only sees you as another sample... A tool to research the original 'Units' that lied dormant within the Boundary."

"Your purpose is of no interest to me. I exist only to eradicate the evil from this world. I am not controlled by the Grimalkin. You and Sector Seven seek to dispose the world of seithr? Tell me, is what you are doing truly just?" Hakumen asks. There is no way anyone can eliminate seithr from this world without some kind of disaster happening.

"What do you mean by 'just'?" Tager asks.

"Think you fool. The world of today thrives on use of seithr. Were it to disappear, would that world not end? Perhaps you will only be hurting the world rather than saving it. Losing seithr would bring the world to its knees much quicker than the Black Beast did. Knowing this, how can you still put your trust in Sector Seven?" Hakumen asks.

'Now then... what will your answer be, Red Devil?' He adds in his mind.

"What I believe in is not Sector Seven, but Kokonoe. Since that day, and from now on, that's not going to change," Tager says.

"Hahahahaha! So you have given your faith to the Grimalkin!? How amusing," Hakumen laughs. He laughs harder at Tager's attempt to give him a glare that is on level with his. There is not much you can do to stare back at a suit of armor with multiple eyes. Eventually, he finishes laughing and settles into a battle stance, Ookami drawn to its full length. Tager doesn't expect the sword to be as large as it is. It's the same length as Hakumen is tall.

"So you are a man who lives by what he believes. Your determination is refreshing. But if you wish to retrieve me, then you must do so by force," Hakumen says.

Almost immediately after Hakumen finishes his sentence, he thrusts forward with his sword. Tager instinctively uses his huge hand to deflect the sword.

"It is not my wish to fight you, Red Devil. There are things that I must do," Hakumen says.

"Are you suggesting that I just give up, then? That's not going to happen, Hakumen," Tager says.

"Haha... well, it was worth a try," Hakumen says. Tager can feel that if he could see the face of the man, he would be smirking.

Hakumen leaps into the air and swings his sword downwards. Tager smirks at the movement, grabbing Hakumen out of the air with his giant hand, and slams him down into the ground. He can hear a grunt of pain coming from the suit of armor.

'So is there really a man inside that suit of armor? To me it feels like there's nothing there,' the Red Devil thinks.

'So it seems that the Red Devil relies on grabbing his opponents... I have to be sure to stay clear of his arms so he doesn't grab me. I do not think that even the Susano'o Unit can take much more of this,' Hakumen thinks, carefully standing from the crater that Tager made when he threw him into the ground.

Hakumen jumps away from Tager before the giant man can grab him once more, and thrusts Ookami forward, stabbing him in the stomach. Tager grunts in pain, but otherwise seems unaffected by the glancing blow. Hakumen is amazed that the attack didn't cripple the iron giant, but then he realizes that this man more than likely has some kind of protection from a blade due to how large and slow he is. He would have to have very high defenses to stay in combat for a long time.

The armor moves quicker than Tager can see once more, and this time slashes him across the torso. Tager tries his best to counter Hakumen's deft swipes, but he can't move his arms fast enough to come even close to blocking the attacks.

'Kokonoe never told me that Hakumen has this much power...!' Tager panics, thinking of an idea to be able to level the playing field. There has to be some way to be able to reach Hakumen without having to keep up with him!

Then, Tager realizes what he can do. A smirk appears on his face.

"Have you gone mad, Red Devil? You are smirking as if you have won. What could possibly be going through that head of yours?" Hakumen asks.

"Oh, but you're very mistaken, Hakumen! I have won!" Tager cries out as electricity covers his body. Hakumen stares at the man in front of him, silently gauging what his next move will be. What could he have been smirking about? He, however, knew that Tager was getting cocky, and when someone gets cocky during a battle, they will most certainly lose. A fatal flaw in such an excellent soldier.

'I have no time for this! I need to get into the NOL HQ right now so that I can find Nu!' Hakumen thinks.

He doesn't expect the ball made out of pure electricity to smack right into him.

Hakumen is blown away by the orb, but feels himself getting pulled towards Tager soon afterwards.

"Magnets!?" Hakumen cries out, realizing what that ball of electricity did to him. Hakumen grabs Ookami and slams it into the ground, holding on tightly so that he wouldn't move towards Tager.

"Clever thinking..." Tager admits, stopping his magnetic pull. It's obvious that he isn't going to be able to get Hakumen like that.

Hakumen and Tager stare each other down, waiting for either one to make the next move.

As soon as Tager extends his hand forward to possibly use his magnets again, Hakumen raises his sword up into the air.

"Empty Sky Form..." he begins as a symbol appears over his sword. Tager, not knowing what Hakumen is doing, continues to pull him in, wanting to grab him and bring him down once and for all.

"You have nowhere to run, Hakumen!" Tager yells out.

'He's getting cocky. This will be his downfall,' Hakumen says, lowering his sword. "Summer's Advance!"

A giant, white wave makes its way towards Tager. The Red Devil stops pulling Hakumen in with his magnets and tries to get away from the wave, but before he could completely escape it the wave collided with him. Tager yelped in pain. It stung!

"Red Devil, I have no further time to fight against you," Hakumen says. "I suggest that you let me go before you wind up hurting yourself instead. You lost this battle because you were cocky."

Hakumen turns around to leave. Tager can't help but agree with the suit of armor. His energy levels were dropping pretty low from his fight. He had no idea that Hakumen was this powerful, though! What was Kokonoe thinking when she sent him to get Hakumen?

As Hakumen walks away, he can't help but feel a sense of dread coming over him. He hasn't felt this way since his fight with the Black Beast! He could tell, deep down inside. Something bad is happening in the NOL HQ.

* * *

"Why is there no one here?" Nu asks as she walks through the headquarters. She reached the NOL branch without too much trouble. She wasn't expecting it to be absolutely empty for something that was so big, though.

"I don't know where I need to go, so I'll just stay here and wait for the H-man..." Nu says, sitting down with her back to the wall. She doesn't want to be attacked while she's waiting.

'I wonder why no one is here... Maybe they're all out looking for Ragna the Bloodedge? But if they were looking for him, wouldn't there be some people here to guard the Cauldron in case he made it here? From what it looks like there's absolutely no one here!' Nu thinks.

"Halt!" a voice that sounds eerily familiar calls out to her. She shoots up from the ground and she beams.

"I've been waiting for you, you slowpoke!" she yells. Hakumen's finally here!

Or, she thought Hakumen had arrived. No, the figure standing in front of her is a shadow of both of their pasts.

"Oh, I'm so sorry..." she says. "I was mistaken..."

A blonde man with icy cold, green eyes stands in front of her. He's wearing a blue outfit that symbolizes he's part of the NOL. Nu is definitely familiar with this man, however. She knows his name quite well.

Jin Kisaragi stands in front of her, his cold glare threatening to pierce her very soul.

'Jin wasn't this scary back when he was still Jin, right?' Nu asks herself.

Suddenly, Jin's glare softens and a light smile spreads across his face.

"Saya, it's been such a long time..." Jin says. "What are you doing in the NOL branch, though? Is there something that you need? Is everything alright? Oh, wait! I get it! You were getting lonely, weren't you? Some things never change, do they?"

Nu pales.

"You're looking a little pale. Are you sure you're alright?" Jin asks, his warm smile contrasting the cold glare she was getting earlier.

"No, I'm fine!" Nu says, thinking it best to play along with Jin until Hakumen arrived. Or maybe even Ragna.

"If Brother saw that, I'm sure he'd be worried way more than I am. Not that I'm not worried about you, Saya!" Jin laughs.

Nu remembers her Jin saying something about him and Ragna being related to each other, but she didn't realize that they were brothers.

"Major Kisaragi!" another voice yells out. A girl with long blonde hair with the same uniform as Jin runs into the headquarters.

"It's you... Lieutenant. Why are you interfering?" Jin asks. The warmness that he was speaking to Nu with is gone, replaced by how Nu's Jin usually spoke to her before he put on the Susano'o Unit.

"Major... what happened to you? This whole incident... you're... acting on your own! Why?" the girl asks.

"I see. So in the end you were just another obstruction," a smirk spreads across Jin's face.

Nu has no idea what's going on right now. She has no idea what she got herself into, and what was going on between the two. She wanted out, right now. Before things got ugly.

The girl that ran in starts to look around, and her eyes lock onto Nu. Then, she freezes, her entire body locking up.

"Target identified as Prime Field Device. Requesting specifications," the words fall out of Nu's mouth. She doesn't realize what she's saying.

"I... I... I am... Boundary Interface Prime Field Device #12. Anti-Sankishin Core Unit: Mu," the blonde says.

"Acknowledging existence of identical device. Asserting difference... Boundary Interface Prime Field Device #13. Anti-Sankishin Core Unit: Nu," Nu replies. "Irreparable error detected within target. Target is incomplete. I order you to self destruct."

"Request denied," the girl that identified herself as Mu says.

"Murakumo Unit... activate," Nu says. Suddenly, from the sky, a giant sword falls down. It sticks itself into the ground right behind Nu, kicking up dust and debris. Both Jin and the girl avert their eyes.

When the dust clears, the sword is gone and Nu looks different. She is wearing armor covered in blades, with eight disembodied swords hovering behind her back. From a visor on her face, a single red eye gleams. Differently sized, pulsating green lights are in random spots all over her body.

"Now commencing termination," Nu says. Before she has a chance to move, Jin draws his weapon.

"The both of you... scum! You don't belong in this world! I will destroy both of you!" Jin yells.

"Summoning Nox Nyctores," the girl says as two guns appear in her hands.

"Targets deemed hostile. Switching threat level to SS," Nu says.

'Why am I not in control of myself!?' Nu thinks frantically. She has no control of her own body. Something wrong is happening to her. She knows that she can activate this armor and control it herself, but now... now something is terribly different. This new girl that came in... something happened to her when she caught sight of her. 'Jin... where are you!?'

* * *

Hakumen knows something is wrong. Something is terribly, terribly wrong. Nu is in extreme danger. He can feel it deep down inside.

He's almost at the NOL HQ. He only has a little bit to go before he arrives.

"Dammit... I should not have let you go! If she gets hurt..." Hakumen berates himself as he starts to run faster.


	4. Chapter 3

Nu twirls her floating body, and the swords that are positioned behind her line up and follow her lead. Jin blocks the blades with Yukianesa before retaliating with a spear of ice. The spear shoots out of the ground right underneath of Nu, but the girl backs away just in time.

Turning her attention towards the blonde girl, she shoots out three swords that attempt to pierce her arms, but the girl flips over the swords and fires a few bullets at Nu in retaliation. The remaining swords form a shield in front of Nu that deflects the bullets, and her attention turns towards Jin yet again.

"Noel..." Jin pulls his sword back, then swipes it in front of him in a vertical motion. "Vermillion!"

A giant wave of ice launches itself from Jin's sword and towards the girl. Her eyes go wide as she braces for impact. There's no way that she can dodge the wave without getting hurt, so she mind as well try and lessen the damage. The wave crashes into her and knocks her down. She lets out a yelp as she hits the ground.

Nu raises her arms into the air, and then throws them down as a black portal appears in front of her. Jin's eyes open wide as he sees multiple, tiny red swords flying toward him.

"Yukianesa!" Jin calls out, slamming the sword into the ground. A pillar of ice surrounded his feet, and rose up from the ground, carrying him above the swords. They slam into the pillar harmlessly, disappearing as they hit the floor, Jin smirking at Nu all the while.

Jin jumps from the ice pillar and slides down, launching himself towards Nu, pulling back Yukianesa once again. Nu stands completely still, watching Jin's movements, not even focusing on Noel.

As Jin approaches her, Nu quickly jumps toward Jin and grabs him out of the air, flipping so that she's on top of him, driving him into the ground. She jumps off of Jin's back and throws four of her swords up to her side, deflecting another one of Noel's bullets.

"These two are acting like robots..." Jin says. "If these two come at me at the same time, then I'm surely going to die. Even I know that a single man cannot take on two at the same time..."

Nu turns to Noel and scowls at her, slowly walking towards her. Noel shoots more bullets at Nu, but they're deflected easily by her swords. They seem to be moving with a mind of their own to Jin and Noel.

Noel sees Nu charging towards her and throws her arms up in defense. The Murakumo Unit grabs Noel's arms and rips them away from each other, then grabs on to her neck and lifts Noel up into the air. The eight swords that float behind her back position themselves to pierce through Noel's head.

Nu's grip around her neck tightens, and Noel lets out a cry of pain. Life returns to her nearly lifeless eyes as she stares at the girl with the eyepatch in absolute horror. She is going to die.

"M-Major... Major Kisaragi! Help!" Noel shouts.

"Terminating," Nu says. Noel closes her eyes, expecting the end to come.

"Crimson."

All of a sudden the grip around Noel's neck loosens enough so that she could break out of it. She watches as the hilt of a blade collides with the side of the girl that was about to kill her.

"Forgive me."

A white suit of armor stands before her, its head pointed to the eyepatch wearing girl. She stares at him warily, hoping that this new entrance isn't here to hurt her as well.

Hakumen grabs the girl and jumps back, setting her down on the ground and putting his hands on her shoulders. She looks up at him with a blank expression.

"Identifying target..." Nu says. Her face brightens up immediately as a smile spreads across her face. "Hakumen! You're here!"

"I should not have let you run off like that. You will have to forgive me for both that and my attack," Hakumen says. "What has happened while he were split from each other?"

"I don't think there's any time to explain..." Nu says as she points toward Jin and Noel.

"Who the hell are you?" Jin yells from his position. He points his sword at Noel, seeing her try to run towards him from the corner of his eye. "Don't go anywhere you scum. I will deal with you later."

"Isn't this interesting..." Hakumen mutters as he takes a step forward. "I do not feel as if I should tell you my name."

"What do you want me to do, Hakumen?" Nu asks, tapping the man on his shoulder.

"You will stay here by my side. I will not lose sight of you again. Besides, Ragna the Bloodedge should be here soon," Hakumen says. "Support me if you wish."

"Enough!" Jin yells, slashing a wave of ice toward Hakumen. Noel recognizes it as the same wave of ice that was shot toward her.

"Hmph. A miserable attempt at an attack," Hakumen comments, raising Ookami into the air and slamming it down. "Summer's Advance!"

The wave that shoots out of Hakumen's blade collides with the wave that was shot out of Jin's. Hakumen's overpowers Jin's easily and fades away before it can reach the man. Jin grunts in frustration as he makes a platform of ice form underneath him as he jumps into the air. The platform propels itself toward Hakumen, and the suit of armor holds out his hand. A shield forms in front of it and blocks Jin's attack. Hakumen grabs Jin out of the air and flips him over his head, slamming him into the ground.

Nu turns to Noel, who rushes over to the three with her guns crossed in front of her. She points toward Noel and the swords behind her back begin to position themselves in a circle. Noel stops running at Nu as the swords hang in the air. Nu takes a look at Noel and then smiles confidently.

"What are you smiling about!?" Noel asks, trying to subdue the panic in her voice.

"You're such a rookie," Nu says.

"What do you mean?" Noel stares at Nu warily.

"Just look at yourself. You're trembling. Your voice is shaking. What's scaring you? Me?" Nu asks.

Noel doesn't respond, opting to point her guns at Nu instead. Nu spreads her arms wide and the swords spread out behind her.

Noel takes a shot at Nu, but the swords quickly form a shield in front of her again. Nu only smirks at the girl's poor attempt to attack.

"Either you're very stupid, or you're just so scared that you can't think right," Nu says. "Do you really think that the same thing is going to work twice?"

Nu points a finger at Noel, who jumps away from Nu thinking that she's going to send another one of the swords behind her flying to her. Instead, she sees an orange sword appear out of thin air and make its way towards her.

After a gasp at seeing the new projectile, Noel jumps into the air. She hears Nu laugh, and a frightened expression appears on her face. She realizes that she put herself into the air, which is more than likely making her an easier target for Nu to shoot down with her swords.

A sword comes flying towards her and only cuts her arm, leaving a gash running up her arm. She grabbed at the wound in pain before falling to the ground on her back.

Nu walks over to Noel and crouches down to meet her. She's still breathing and her eyes are barely open, but Nu made sure that she didn't kill her.

"Hey, could you do me a favor and just stay down? I don't really need you hurting yourself even more than I hurt you," Nu suggests. She turns to Hakumen and Jin, focusing more on Jin than the suit of armor.

'Why do I feel this strange sense of familiarity with Jin? It was the same with my Jin before he put the armor on as well...' Nu thinks to herself. She knows that it wouldn't be in her best interest to jump right into that mess of a battle raging on in front of her, so she turns back to Noel.

"So, your name is Noel Vermillion right? I heard that blonde guy call your name when he attacked you with that ice wave," Nu says. Then she notices that Noel's eyes are shut and her head is on its side. "Asleep. Buuuuut anyway... I need to ask my Jin some questions after they're done..."

Jin looks like he's struggling to keep up with Hakumen. The suit of armor is moving very fast, which surprised Jin at first. Now that he's used to it, Jin attempts to predict where Hakumen is going to be and slashes there with Yukianesa. However, at the last minute, Hakumen puts a shield up, blocking the attack, then grabs Jin and flips him over his head once more.

"This must be a joke. Surely this is not all that you can do. If so, I'm disappointed," Hakumen says.

'I know that I was not this weak while I was still Jin Kisaragi,' he adds in his mind.

"Don't you make a mockery out of me!" Jin yells, making an bow made out of ice from thin air. Multiple arrows made out of ice fire at Hakumen.

"I can see everything that you do. You will never defeat me," Hakumen says. He dashes through the barrage of arrows fired at him, quickly approaching his past self. When he finally reaches Jin he gives him a nasty sounding uppercut, launching him out of the air. He quickly jumps up to join him, kicking him down to the ground. Jin lands on the ground hard, forming a very small crater. Nu rushes over to Hakumen as he lands, examining the hole that he made with Jin's body. She gets on top of Jin and starts counting down from ten.

"Must you act so childish? Come, Nu. We need to get to the Cauldron," Hakumen instructs, walking toward the elevator that he knows will bring them down to the Cauldron in the basement. All that he needs to do now is wait for the arrival of Ragna the Bloodedge. There would be some time before the two of them reach the Cauldron, however.

"Hey, Jin...? Can I tell you something important?" Nu asks, tapping Hakumen on his shoulder. The suit of armor looks down to the small girl, as if to acknowledge her question. That girl... Noel Vermillion? When I met her, I kind of just, I dunno, blacked out. I was still moving and everything, but I wasn't really in control of my own body. I was even saying some really weird stuff other than identifying myself as #13. She said something about being another Prime Field Device like me. Maybe we should keep an eye on her?"

"You're right. We should keep an eye on her. If there is another Prime Field Device running about, it could spell out danger," Hakumen says.

The elevator stops, Nu mentally cursing herself at not being able to ask the question she wanted to ask Hakumen.

Hakumen and Nu walk to the Cauldron and stand still, turning to the elevator as it returns up. Now they play the waiting game until Ragna the Bloodedge arrives.

"Only a little more, Ragna the Bloodedge, and this nightmare can end," Hakumen says.

While they wait, Nu starts thinking more about the conversation she had with Jin before she started fighting with both Jin and Noel.

'Jin kept on calling me Saya... that's the name of Jin's younger sister. Jin's related to Ragna the Bloodedge in the fact that he's his brother. While my Jin was still Jin and not Hakumen, he would never look me in the eye, and sometimes he would slip up and call me Saya by complete accident, not realizing that he even said that. I thought that it was a nickname, but when he told me that Saya was his sister... I started to get a little bit suspicious. I remember overhearing him speaking to himself about me before I came to wake him up one day... he said something along the lines of 'I can't believe she really looks just like her,' and 'The resemblance is too perfect to be a coincidence. If she's not Saya, then she's a...', and then he stopped talking and asked if there was anyone by the door, and that's when I walked in. So... if I'm not Saya, then I'm what?' Nu thinks, really struggling to find an answer for herself. She knows that Hakumen won't give one to her easily.

'Whenever I look at Jin, some memories that I know don't belong to me flow through my mind. Memories of a church and two other boys. One of them was always nice to me, while the other was mean. That's all that I can remember about those memories. But they're not even mine! Memories that aren't mine... Jin slipping up and calling me Saya... him saying stuff about how I look exactly like this girl...' Nu looks down to the ground. She cannot believe the thought going through her mind right now.

'I'm a clone.'

The sound of the elevator coming down snaps her out of her thoughts.

"Prepare yourself. It begins," Hakumen says, drawing Ookami.

A tall man wearing a red jacket with white hair walks out of the elevator, and looks down at the gate. "Another day another Cauldron. I kind of dicked around too much on the way here, but at least I'm here." Then, he notices the two in front of him. He freezes when he senses the aura of the white armor.

'All of that malice... what the hell...!? Shit... I'm trembling... and... that girl!'

"Nu!?" Ragna yells.

"Her name is of no importance to you. Dark One... it has been much too long," Hakumen says. Hakumen can easily sense the fear inside of Ragna. His feet are trembling, and his face looks like a deer in headlights.

"I.. I've never met you before..." Ragna stammers.

"You're very scared, Ragna... are you afraid of him? Of me? Or the both of us?" Nu asks. Hakumen doesn't look back to Nu, but he's impressed with the girl.

'I remember a time where she would get so excited at the thought of the man. It seems that she, like myself, has gotten over that,' Hakumen thinks.

"Sh-Shut up, Nu! And who ARE you, you masked freak!?" Ragna asks.

"I am he who will cleanse the world of you," Hakumen says.

Then, Ragna realizes something. What Jubei had told him earlier...

 _"They're here, and they're lookin' fer you. You'll know them when you meet them. If you don't, yer gut will."_

"So... it's you two," Ragna says.

"Darkness flows out of you, infecting our world with evil. I will stop that flow by cutting you down!" Hakumen states.

"What are you talking about!?" Ragna yells. Sweat begins to trickle down the side of his face as he grits his teeth. This power emitting from the both of them is unlike anything he's ever encountered. He can tell that the Nu that stands in front of him now is not the Nu that is at this Cauldron. But how can there be multiple Nus?

"Tch... there's no way that I can fight you two at once without having to resort to this..." Ragna holds his hand up, revealing a red circle on the back of it. "Restriction 666 Released... Dimensional interference field deployed..." a cloud of darkness enshrouds Ragna as he powers himself up. "BlazBlue... activate!"

"Hey! You've got one of those thingies, too!?" Nu asks happily.

'Though I said she deviated from those creepy tendencies... she still acts childish in front of both him and I...' Hakumen notes.

"Here, lemme show you mine, Ragna! Restriction 666 Released..." Nu begins, pushing the hair covering her eyepatch away. Ragna has never seen anything like this happen before. The fear from before settles back in as he witnesses Nu activating something he thought she would never have. "Dimensional interference field deployed... Murakumo Unit activated... BlazBlue, activate!" The same darkness that enshrouded Ragna does the same for Nu as she happily smiles at him.

"An Azure Grimoire!? How!?" Ragna yells. "There's no way!"

"Are you defeated already, Dark One? We haven't started yet!" Hakumen yells. "I am the white void. I am the cold steel. I am the just sword. With blade in hand shall I reap the sins of this world and cleanse it in the fires of destruction! I am Hakumen! The end has come!"


	5. Chapter 4

'He's dead serious about this...' Nu thinks as she looks at Hakumen jump forward at Ragna, sword pulled back and ready to swipe.

As Ragna prepares to block Hakumen's sword, a saw-like object runs through the ground toward him. He grits his teeth and blocks Ookami with his sword. Hakumen presses his blade against Ragna's, rendering him unable to fight back. He looks to the saw once more and moves his feet so that the saw would only scrape him.

He feels the sting of the saw passing by his foot and his stance weakens just enough for Hakumen to push him down onto the ground. Hakumen raises his sword up into the air and before he can fully bring it down, Ragna rolls to the side and gets up.

"Dead Spike!" Ragna yells, kicking up a red, shark-like beast from the ground using his sword. Hakumen blocks the attack with one of his shields and grabs Ragna by the arm, throwing him over towards Nu.

Nu smiles at Ragna as he approaches her and points at him. One of the swords behind her back positions itself so that it will pierce Ragna's heart by the time he reaches Nu. Ragna sees this and flips himself in the air, yelling "Gauntlet Hades!"

A purple aura surrounds his foot as he kicks Nu's head, flipping over the sword.

"That was mean, Ragna! How would you like it if someone did that to you?" Nu asks, pouting childishly at the man. Ragna raises a brow in confusion, and then feels a metallic foot slam against the side of his head, sending him into one of the walls of the Gate.

"Do not forget that I am here too, Dark One!" Hakumen yells.

Ragna gets up from the ground and dusts himself off.

"Look, I don't know what happened to make you and Nu all buddy-buddy, but it's really pissing me off!" Ragna shouts.

"Ha ha... it has always been like this, Dark One. Nu and I know each other so well..." Hakumen begins.

"That we can finish each others sentences!" Nu chimes in, shooting more swords at Ragna. The man dodges them and quickly turns around just in time to block Hakumen's sword.

'Damn, this isn't good... they can read each others movements and act on them... they're the perfect tag team!' Ragna tries to dodge another sword from Nu, but the girl summoned two swords at the same time, the other slashing Ragna's arm.

"Ragna the Bloodedge, what's the matter? Aren't you supposed to be the world's strongest!?" Hakumen asks, walking toward Ragna.

Ragna jumps into the air just as Hakumen swipes at his feet, yelling "Belial Edge!"

Ragna flies down, propelled by the black energy gathered around his sword. Hakumen isn't able to react in time and gets blasted away by the impact.

Out of the corner of his eye, Hakumen sees giant swords shooting up from the ground, making their way to Ragna. He jumps out of the way of Nu's attack, watching Ragna intently, waiting for his next move.

"Dead Spike!" Ragna yells again, trying to use the shark-like beast to counter the swords. They go right through the beast, leaving Ragna only to barely get out of the way.

"Summer's Advance!" Hakumen immediately slams Ookami down, sending a wave flying at Ragna, leaving him no time to rest after barely dodging Nu's swords. Ragna jumps over the wave and positions himself, holding his sword in front of him.

"Carnage..." he begins, lunging forward at Hakumen.

"Empty Sky Form: Winter's Riposte!" Hakumen holds his arm up and blocks Ragna's initial strike, then pulls his sword back and then slashes forward, cutting Ragna across his ribcage. Ragna howls in pain and falls onto his knees.

"It's not over yet..." Ragna stumbles to his feet. "It's not... over yet, you sons of bitches!"

"It is impressive that you're able to still stand. However, Dark One, this is the end of you!" Hakumen yells, pointing his sword at Ragna. Ragna scowls at the armored man, and then to Nu.

"Geez... if I have to hear you prattle on about saving the world and all that stupid shit one more time I think I'll hurl..." Ragna says. He pulls back a fist and runs to Hakumen. "It makes me sick... that mask of yours!"

"Do you really think that charging at me is going to help?" Hakumen asks. He raises an arm to block Ragna's attack, but instead of punching him, Ragna grabs his neck. Hakumen looks down to see a claw-like protrusion coming from Ragna's hand as he is lifted into the air. Nu's eyes widen and she rushes toward Ragna to stop him.

She's too late, and the claws shatter around Hakumen's neck, a loud cry of pain coming from the masked man. Ragna's real hand is still wrapped around Hakumen's neck as he prepares to throw him to the side. However, the armored man flips himself in Ragna's grasp, kicking him in the head. Ragna drops Hakumen and the armor continues his attack, punching Ragna into the air. He jumps up to meet him and kicks him down to the ground. His head then turns to Nu, who nods in understanding.

She raises her hand in the air and a portal appears above Ragna's head. The white haired man's eyes widen at seeing the portal and he rolls to the side just in time to avoid getting guillotined by a giant sword. Just as Ragna gets up, he sees thinner swords than Nu normally summons heading towards him. They catch him by his jacket and pants, pinning him to the wall behind him. Nu smiles at him and slowly walks up to him.

"I got you, Ragna..." Nu says.

Hakumen joins Nu and holds his sword in front of him, saying, "Ragna the Bloodedge... this is going to be your end."

"My end? You think I'm gonna die here?" Ragna asks. "There's no way in hell I'm gonna give up... I worked way too friggin' hard to get to here, and I'm not gonna just sit here and lose to you two."

Nu starts to giggle, and Ragna shoots a glare at her. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, it's nothing... it's just... you're talking so big for someone pinned to the wall while two people are in front of you with deadly weapons ready to kill you and end the suffering of the entire world," Nu says.

"It's over, Ragna the Bloodedge." Hakumen says, preparing to stab Ookami through Ragna's heart.

Before he can even move, the ground rumbles viciously. Nu and Hakumen fall to their feet, and Ranga falls to the ground as the swords that were holding him disappear. Hakumen looks to the gate below and sees that it's slowly opening up, revealing a bright light.

'No... this situation... is now much more dangerous than it was already...' Hakumen thinks.

* * *

"Wh-what was that, just now!?" Noel Vermillion asks, getting up and looking around frantically. She sees a man in a black suit with a fedora standing there, looking at her. He lets out a sigh of relief.

"Noel Vermillion, I'm glad that you're okay. Something must have happened here, huh? I saw Major Kisaragi over there passed out, bleeding all over the place. I've sent for him to be taken to a hospital. What happened here?" the man asks.

"Captain Hazama! Um... I don't really remember what happened here... I walked in on Major Kisaragi and a girl with gleaming red eyes and really long white hair talking to each other. Then, Major Kisaragi started to attack me as well as that girl, and all of a sudden a man in white armor appeared too! He started fighting with the Major while the girl went after me. I wasn't able to defeat her... she was much, much better than me. Before I passed out, I saw them heading to the basement!" Noel explains.

"I'm going to have to ask you to go down there. I would do it myself, but fighting's not really my thing. I'll make sure Major Kisaragi is safe, however," Captain Hazama says, tipping his fedora.

'White armor, and a girl with very long hair and red eyes...? Hahaha! Well, Haku my man, I didn't actually expect you to show up, let alone with that doll you call your sister!' Hazama thinks, smiling as he turns away from Noel, who rushes into the basement. 'And now all we do is play the waiting game...'

* * *

"Ji-I mean, Hakumen...? What's going on?" Nu asks timidly, watching as some kind of machine is lifted from the chasm below. Hakumen looks at Nu, then to Ragna.

"I suppose that our quarrel ends here, Ragna the Bloodedge. Something dangerous is going to come from that machine soon. I believe all three of us would be needed to combat it," Hakumen says. "Though it pains me to fight alongside you."

"Yeah, you're telling me... but wait, how do you know what's coming up from there?" Ragna asks.

"Let's just say... I have a secret," Hakumen says.

"What's that machine, Hakumen?" Nu asks. "Why does it look familiar?"

The machine stops moving upward, out of the Cauldron. It looks like a sword, with the hilt of the blade holding something that is chained up with a giant lock in the center.

"That's not a machine... it's a container," Hakumen says.

"A container for a demon," Ragna adds.

"A demon!? You mean... a demon is going to come out of that thing!?" Nu asks, frantically looking at both men for an answer.

"Prepare! It comes!" Hakumen stands up, holding his sword in front of him. Ragna takes his and stands next to Hakumen, and Nu, after taking a second, joins them, her swords floating behind her.

'Hahaha... I can say for certain... this is one hell of a family reunion,' Hakumen thinks.

The lock breaks, and light shines through the container, blinding Nu and Ragna. Hakumen can see the demon Ragna was talking about descend from the container with her eyes shut.

Memories from long ago flood back into Hakumen's mind. He remembers standing by Ragna's side and watching the Murakumo Unit descend from it's containment.

Nu-13 is standing before Ragna, Nu, and Hakumen with her eyes shut. She's wearing the same exact clothes that Nu wears when she's not in her Murakumo Unit armor.

"This is so weird... it's like... looking in a mirror, but not..." Nu says, tilting her head.

"Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading..."

The Nu standing with Hakumen and Ragna quickly reaches for the sword at the end of her braid and removes it. Then, she undoes her braid and lets her hair down.

"Just so you know who's who," she says.

"Hey, good idea..." Ragna nods. "Wait a second... if you're Nu, and she's Nu... then... what the hell is going on here!?"

"There is no time for explanations, Ragna. She is finished loading her systems," Hakumen taps the man's shoulder and points to the other Nu.

"Hey, I'm tired of no one giving me a friggin' explanation! You'd better speak up asshole, or I'm gonna-"

"Complete."

A chill runs down Ragna's spine as he looks Nu-13 right in the eye.

"Prime Field Device detected. Requesting specifications," Nu-13 says.

Nu looks at Hakumen, and then back to the other Nu. "I am Boundary Interface Prime Field Device #13. Anti-Sankishin Core Unit: Nu."

"I am Boundary Interface Prime Field Device #13. Anti-Sankishin Core Unit: Nu. Target identified as similar Prime Field Device. Evaluating similarities. Impossibility detected. Existential Error... Error... Error... Error..." the other Nu says in a monotone voice.

"What the hell is up with her? Normally she sees me and goes absolutely bananas..." Ragna says.

"Initiating termination of the source of the error. Murakumo Unit activate," Nu-13 says. A sword falls from the sky, falling in front of Nu-13. It flashes white and disappears, revealing the other Nu in the same armor as Nu.

Then, she catches sight of Ragna.

"Ragna!" she cries out. Ragna cringes. "It's been sooooo long since I've seen you! What is this... the fifth time...?"

"No... the fourth..." Ragna says lowly.

"Awww! Someone's in a bad mood!" Nu-13 says.

"The way she talks makes me wanna hurl..." Nu says. Hakumen chuckles at that.

"Are you mad because we didn't talk much the last time? We can sit down and talk a bit if you want! Do you remember how you hurt me the last few times? It really hurt a whole bunch! I bled a lot! Really! But... you know..." Nu-13 says. "Oh, and that blonde guy was watching us too with that girl I killed! Wasn't that fun!? Where is he, though?"

'I am right here... you vile demon...' Hakumen's already angry enough. If anything else relating to what happened back then comes out of her mouth, he might just about kill her.

"Shut. Up," Ragna says.

"Ah! Ragna! You're injured! Why don't you heal yourself? Who did that to you!?" Nu-13 asks.

"Shut the hell up! That face... that voice... don't you dare talk to me like that! There is _nothing_ that we need to talk about, okay! I'm here to destroy you, and that's that!" Ragna yells his voice wavering.

"No! Don't do that! We finally get to meet again... and you say such horrible things..." Nu sees a tear coming from the other Nu and frowns.

Ragna feels something hard hit the back of his head and turns around to see Nu scowling at him.

"The hell do you want me to say?" he asks her quietly.

"Don't be mean, you ass," Nu shakes her head.

"Well, I guess I can't change your mind, huh...? Well then... how would you like it? Gentle? Or a bit more rough perhaps...?" Nu-13 asks, holding her hands out.

"Well, I've got some friends with me today, though I can hardly call them friends..." Ragna says.

"Oh! I was so focused on Ragna that I didn't even notice you two! Some big guy in white armor and... oh, wow! Are you my twin or something? I never knew I had a twin... Hey, big guy! If you and Ragna are gonna play with me, be gentle, okay?"

"The fact that you're saying that shit with my face and voice disgusts me... Anyway, you're not gonna have my brother _or_ Ragna. Mostly Ragna, because I know H-man can take care of himself easy," Nu says.

Nu-13 frowns at Nu. "Oh, so you wanna steal Ragna from me? He's not yours, so get your dirty hands off him! He's mine!"

"No," Ragna turns to Hakumen. "Please tell me this isn't happening."

"Oh, it is, Dark One. I suggest grabbing a bowl of popcorn. Things should be getting good in a few minutes," Hakumen laughs at his own joke.

"Ragna!? Yours!? Don't even make me laugh! He's not anyone's!" Nu yells.

"I know what you're trying to do! You're only saying that because you want Ragna to like you more you hussy!" Nu-13 yells.

"HUSSY!?" Nu shrieks. Ragna covers his ears from the high pitched yell.

"Ragna!" the two Nus yell. A smile that screams "save me" is plastered on his face as he turns to them.

"Y-yes...?"

"Who do you like more? Me or this little copycat over here?" Nu-13 asks.

"Copycat!? I was here first! If anything you're the one copying off of me!" Nu yells.

"Ladies, please! Just calm down!" Ragna yells, putting his hands up.

"Look at that shitty hairstyle, Ragna! I'd never wear my hair like that! Ragna likes braids and that's final!" Nu-13 huffs.

"Oh, so now you have to insult my hair? Calling me a slut isn't enough for you? Oh, you're gonna get it now..." Nu asks.

"ENOUGH!"

Hakumen's booming voice stops any and all arguments as everyone turns to him with a surprised look on their face. "I will waste no more time standing here and listening to this go on. Prime Field Device #13... today is your last."

Nu-13 looks at Hakumen, and a frightened expression appears on her face. A chill runs down her spine at his words.

"Yeah, what this masked bitch over here said. Nu, today is the day that we finish this once and for all. No more fighting after this. Because I'm gonna get rid of you," Ragna says.

"You may be me... but I can't allow you to live any longer than today! You're another source of the evil in this world, and as you, it's my duty to put an end to your life so that your evil doesn't infect the world any further!" Nu cries out.

"So I really can't change your mind, then? Oh well, this is the part that you like anyway. Come, Ragna... these arms were meant to hold you..." Nu-13 says, spreading her arms out wide.


	6. Chapter 5

"Come on Ragna, let's dance!" Nu-13 yells as she charges toward Ragna, her feet gliding across the ground. Ragna raises his sword, ready to strike at the Murakumo Unit.

Nu-13 spins around and her swords follow her lead. As Ragna sees the swords behind her coming at him, he kicks up a Dead Spike from the ground to stop them. They're swallowed whole by the attack, but seconds later reappear at Nu-13's side.

Hakumen jumps forward and swipes his sword at the other Nu, catching her off guard. He feels Ookami rip into her body, yet she doesn't give out a pained cry. Only a small grunt.

Nu-13 returns by summoning a large sword, launching it at Hakumen.

"A pitiful excuse for an attack, demon," Hakumen states, slashing the sword away with ease. In the place of the orange blade, a black hole appears, surrounded by a red outline.

Nu-13 turns her direction to the other Nu and raises her arms up into the air and then throwing them back down seconds later. Nu realizes what's about to happen and does the same motion.

Two giant portals appear in front of the two, and multiple swords shoot out of them, colliding with each other and falling to the floor, disappearing as they hit the ground.

Nu lunges forward, her swords following her lead and slashing in a vertical motion. The other Nu does the same thing that Nu does, their blades clashing with one another once more.

"Altering process..." Nu-13 says. She hops into the air and flips around. a sword appearing out of thin air around her. The sword flies down to the ground, but Nu throws a sword out of the ground up to counter the blade around the other Nu.

Ragna and Hakumen stand by on the sidelines of the battle, watching as the two exchange blow for blow, seemingly reading each others' movements. Ragna sighs and shakes his head, turning his head up to look at Hakumen's helm.

"It's like they're in perfect sync. There's no sign of one of them pushing through..." Ragna comments.

"It is best if we leave them be. If either I or you get involved, I fear for what may happen. I... would never forgive myself if I wind up accidentally hurting Nu," Hakumen crosses his arms. "I have watched one of my loved ones die by the hands of this demon. I do not wish to see another."

Hakumen drifts back to a similar scenario from his past. One filled with grief and torment.

 _"Tsubaki... no... w-why!?"  
_

 _"Jin... was that girl... was she important to you?"_

 _"Ragna... are you mad because I just killed that girl? I hate her. You're the only one for me, not her."  
_

 _"What!? No... there's no way that you're still standing! I just killed you! I just killed you!"_

 _"You're starting to become a thorn in my side. You won't keep me from Ragna. Die."_

Hakumen snaps back to reality with a cry of rage, ripping Ookami from its sheath and charging at the Nu with the braid. Both Nus turn to Hakumen, a surprised look on each of their faces.

"Let the technique that bears her name destroy you, vile creature!" Hakumen shouts, leaping into the air and slamming his sword down, yelling "Tsubaki!"

Nu's eyes widen as she watches the other Nu skid across the ground, kicking up dust and crashing into the wall. Hakumen, however, is not done yet. He holds his sword in front of him, gathering power.

"Empty Sky True Form: Light of Judgement!" Hakumen yells, not giving Nu-13 time to breath as he advances on her once again, this time kicking her with a foot covered in black energy.

Nu retreats to Ragna's side, staring at Hakumen like he's a completely different person.

"What's with him!? He said just a second ago he didn't want to get involved so he wouldn't hurt you, but now he just went ape shit on that Nu!" Ragna points at Hakumen, who is throwing around Nu-13 with different attacks, almost like she's a toy.

"Come on, you demon! Aren't you going to show me that tremendous power of yours!?" Hakumen asks, throwing Nu-13 into the ground. She bounces up off of the ground and Hakumen stomps on her, sending her back down.

Hakumen throws her at a wall and then elbows her in the stomach. Nu-13's eyes widen as she realizes that if this continues, she will die. She frantically works her mind, thinking of something that she can do to help her out of this hopeless situation. As Hakumen kicks her ribcage, one of her swords attempts to slash at Hakumen.

The white armor shrugs off the attack and continues his assault on Nu-13, this time choosing to stab her with the hilt of Ookami. She cries out in pain as she feels the sword press into her skin.

"I... I can't watch this..." Nu turns away from Hakumen, not wanting to see the man that she cherishes as a brother brutalize herself like this, even if it wasn't truly "her".

"It must feel terrible to watch yourself get beat up that bad... but damn, I'm glad he's on our side," Ragna says.

"This is the end of you!" Hakumen cries, holding his sword out while a giant red and blue circle appear in front of him. "Empty Sky True Form: Judgement of the Sword!"

Nu-13 watches as Hakumen pulls back his sword. The ground rumbles around them, throwing her off her balance, and Hakumen slashes with Ookami. She feels only immense pain before falling over onto her back.

"Rag...na..." Nu-13 says, reaching her hand out to Ragna in one final attempt to be together with him. Hakumen stares at the other Nu for a moment before sheathing Ookami and turning back to Nu and Ragna.

"It is over," Hakumen says. He looks at Ragna, but Nu jumps in front of his line of vision and shakes her head furiously.

"No!" she cries out.

"Hah. You think I still have intentions of destroying him? No, I realize now that since one piece of the puzzle is missing, the puzzle will not be completed," Hakumen says.

"What are you talking about?" Ragna asks.

"I am not sure I am allowed to tell you just what we are talking about, Dark One," Hakumen says.

"Anyway... everything's good now, right?" Nu asks. "What do we do from here?"

"Well, I guess I'll just be on my merry way and start trashing some more Cauldrons," Ragna says. "So, if you'll excuse me... been real nice meeting ya, but I gotta go."

Hakumen turns to watch Ragna walk away, but suddenly feels a sharp pain coursing through him. A pain like no other, however... the pain is definitely familiar. Too, too familiar.

"Convincing, right?"

Ragna and Nu turn around and, to their horror, see Nu-13 standing behind Hakumen with a sword piercing his stomach.

"It's not over yet, Ragna! It's only over when I get you in my arms... We're going to become one, here and now! Stay put you naughty boy..." Nu-13 says seductively, walking slowly towards Ragna.

"No... impossible... I killed you! I saw it with my own eyes! I killed you!" Hakumen yells, suddenly realizing the familiarity of the situation. For him, history was repeating itself. He falls to the ground.

Hakumen turns his head to look at Nu, whose head is looking down to the ground.

'Is something the matter with her?' he asks himself, trying to get himself to a wall where he could prop himself up at. He watches as Nu silently walks to the other Nu, with Ragna starting at Nu-13, fear clear in his eyes.

"He killed you!" Ragna says. "How the hell are you alive!?"

"I'm not telling!" Nu-13 exclaims childishly.

Hakumen's gaze turns to Nu, who starts walking forward slowly, almost like she's limping. He finally reaches a wall and props himself up, seeing as though just lying on the floor is uncomfortable.

"I need to use a healing ars..." he says to himself.

She reaches Nu-13 and reaches her hand out. It hovers over her hair for a little bit before clamping down on it, yanking it backwards. Nu-13 lets out a gasp as she spins around to see Nu glaring at her with a frightening expression on her face.

"Touch him and you're deader that you already are," Nu says.

"Let go of my hair! How low do you have to be to pull on another girl's hair!?" Nu-13 yells, thrashing about in Nu's death grip. It's useless, as Nu's hand won't budge at all.

Nu takes a sword floating behind her and stabs it through Nu-13's stomach, causing her to cry in pain. "It's not so funny when it happens to you, is it?"

She throws her back to the center of the gate and smiles sweetly at Hakumen, giving him a thumbs up. Nu summons two swords at once and they fire themselves at Nu-13. Her swords move in front of her to block it, but they can't withstand the force of the two swords Nu summoned combined.

Nu closes in on her doppelganger and kicks her twice. Once in the face and the other in the ribs. Nu stands tall, looming over Nu-13. "I'll end you here and now."

"If I go down... then I'm going to take you with me!" Nu-13 screeches, jumping up from the ground and grabbing onto Nu.

"Nu!" Ragna reaches his hand out toward Nu. He tries to run toward her, but the other Nu's swords bar his path. Hakumen tries desperately to move, to just stand up on his own two feet, but the pain is too much for him to bear.

"Oh silver blade forged in the depths of the beyond, heed my summon and purge those who stand in my way."

Nu's eyes widen as she sees a gigantic sword poke it's tip out of a giant portal high above them, at the ceiling of the gate. Ragna slashes the swords away from him and runs to her as the sword begins to fall down from the sky.

"Lay waste."

Nu shuts her eyes tightly and shakes her head. "Jiiiin!"

Hakumen finds the strength to stand up once more, just like the last time. He lopsidedly runs to Nu's side and kicks the other Nu away from her, his foot turning black. The other Nu releases her grip on Nu, but the sword is still coming.

"Empty Sky True Form!" Hakumen begins to yell. Ragna puts his hand on his shoulder and pushes him out of the way, jumping in front of the giant blade. His hand becomes that of a savage beast as he reaches out toward it. In some kind of miracle, he grabs the sword just before it pierces Nu, and waves upon waves of darkness start to shoot up from the ground. Hakumen picks Nu up from the ground and takes her away.

He holds her close to him in his arms. Her eyes are still bugging out. She's still in shock from the thought of dying.

"...I shouldn't have been so weak," Hakumen says.

"No... no, it wasn't your fault... I saw her die, too," Nu says, shaking her head. Hakumen goes to put her down, but she stops him. "Can you just... hold me for a little bit longer, Jin?"

"Fine," Hakumen nods. Deep inside he's glad that he knows how to use Ars Magus, or else the ending result would have been disastrous.

"RAAAAGH!" Ragna screams as he puts more pressure onto the sword, eventually shattering it in the process. Nu-13 is left at the edge of the gate. The Cauldron is right below her. Just moving an inch backwards would send her plummeting into it.

Ragna menacingly walks toward her, and a look of fear appears on her face.

"Ragna...?" she asks. "Why are you so mad? You've never gotten this mad before... Ragna...? You're scaring me..."

As Ragna reaches her, her frightened expression turns into a twisted smile. She grabs his leg and pulls him backward, laughing all the while. "Now! We'll finally become one right now, Ragna! It's our destiny! Nobody can change it! Nobody! NobodynobodynobodyNOBODY!"

"You crazy whore!" Ragna yells, falling with her off the edge. Hakumen puts Nu down and runs to Ragna as fast as he can.

"Noooo!" he cries out, sliding as he reaches the edge and reaching his hand out for Ragna to grab. Ragna extends his arm as far as he can and grabs onto Hakumen's. He turns his head down to Nu-13, who scowls at Hakumen.

"You're not going to take me away from him! It's our destiny! We have to become one!" Nu-13 yells.

"I will take that fate... and crush it in the palm of my hand!" Hakumen yells, yanking Ragna upwards as he kicks the other Nu in the face. She looks like someone had stabbed her in the back.

"Ragnaaaaaaaa!" she screeches as she falls into the Cauldron below. Hakumen pulls Ragna all the way up and sets him down on the ground, far away from the Cauldron. Nu walks over to him and smiles warmly.

"Hakumen..." she says.

"What's going on here!?" another voice yells. The three turn their head to the doorway to see a blonde girl in a blue outfit approach them. She has guns drawn and looks serious.

"Oh, you're that girl from before!" Nu says.

"I heard screaming, so I... " Noel says, trailing off as she looks at Ragna. She doesn't know why, but she senses a strong familiarity with him.

Before anything else is said, Nu turns around and wraps her arms around Ragna, catching him by surprise. "You stupid idiot! I can't believe that you did that!"

"Whoa, whoa! What the hell did I do? I just saved your life, Nu!" Ragna says.

"In the most stupid way possible you meanie!" Nu puffs her cheeks out and releases Ragna. A gust of wind blows behind them, and all four turn to see a girl wearing a black dress. Rachel Alucard.

"Rabbit," Ragna nods at her.

She sighs as she looks at Ragna. "Ragna. Mr. Hero. Nu. I am quite impressed. You have preformed brilliantly."

"What?" Nu asks.

Rachel only disappears in response.

"Oh, yeah, thanks. That's real nice. Sure, just go ahead and teleport away like usual," Ragna kicks the ground. "So, are you guys gonna give me some answers or what? Who are you two really? I've been dying to know this entire time."

"You're... Ragna the Bloodedge! You're under a silent! You have the right to remain arrest!" Noel cries out.

Nu bursts out laughing, hunching over and pointing at Noel. "Oh jeez, I think I really screwed your head up when I knocked you out! Or maybe you're still scared, little girl?"

Just then, the door to the gate opens once more.

"Ahahahahaha!" an all too familiar voice laughs maniacally. "Oh, my little chickadees, I've been waiting for this moment!"

A man in a black suit with green hair appears from the door, holding the fedora on his head. "Look at me! Observe me, Noel Vermillion!"

"Captain Hazama...?" Noel asks. Rachel appears again, having returned from doing whatever it was that she was doing.

"Don't do it!"

"Who... are you...?" Noel asks. Hakumen feels a sense of dread course through his veins.

"HAHAHAHAHA! That totally counts!" 'Hazama' exclaims. Dark, green energy flows around him as his fedora pops off of his head, standing up straight on edge. "And now, thanks to that, I've got it back! You really were the calamity trigger! Did you see that you pretentious mosquito!? Hahahaha!"

Ragna scowls at the figure. "You bastard!"

He charges at him, only to have the attack effortlessly dodged.

"Whoa, that almost connected! Did someone piss in your cornflakes this morning? All of you against one is not what I would call sporting, you know. Tsk-tsk... Though if you really want a fight I'd be more than willing to give it to ya. Not gonna lie, I really need a warmup."

"Yuuki... Terumi..." Ragna growls.

"You know this man!?" Hakumen asks.

"Wait, how do you know Snakey!?" Nu asks.

"Heya Raggy! How goes that right arm of yours? Oh, and Jin Kisaragi too! You even brought little ol' Nu-Nu with you! How's it going? Miss me?" Terumi asks, looking straight at Nu, then back to Ragna. "Well, you seem to be soldiering on with that fake one, Rags."

"You mouthy bastard!" Ragna yells. Then he realizes what Terumi said before. "Wait... Jin Kisaragi? Where the hell is Jin!?"

He begins to look around for any signs of his brother. When he looks at Hakumen, the actual person fades away, replaced by the image of his brother. The image remains for a very quick second and then returns to being Hakumen.

"No way... no friggin' way..." Ragna shakes his head in denial. "You little bastard!" He attempts to attack Terumi once more, but Rachel stands in his way.

"Ragna, stop!" she cries out.

"Out of my way!" He shoves her to the side.

"I would if I could but the circumstances have changed! At present you don't stand a ghost of a chance against him," Rachel says.

"Ding ding ding! Give the lady a cigar!" Terumi chimes in. "You're gonna piss yourself with bruised machismo when I tell you this, but that little bloodsucker is the only one who can even _think_ of going toe-to-toe against me now! Oh, and Jin too, I guess. Right ol' partner? Remember!? REMEMBER!? That's right, Ragna. You're no more of a threat to me than the dirt on my boots. Ooh... that one has harsh huh? AS IF I GIVE A SHIT! AHAHAHAHA!"

"Fight me already you bastard!" Ragna yells.

"Chill out Old Yeller. Keep barking too much and I might have to put you down!" Terumi says.

"You little asshat! Maybe you're the one doing all the friggin' barking!" Nu says.

"Ooh boy, don't sink those viscous fangs into me just yet, Nu-Nu!" Terumi replies. "You lucked out, Rags! You got Little Miss AB Positive and two of the big guys who killed the Black Beast with me on your side! Hell, I'm in a good mood! I'll let all of you live! Well, I'll be going now! Kisses to the old man you little wretch."

And just like that, Terumi disappears.

"Get back here, Terumi you fiend!" Hakumen yells, slashing the space where Terumi once was with Ookami.

"What... what is going on? Who was that person?" Noel asks.

"Shit," Ragna swears, turning to Noel. She's looking at the four of them with a concerned look on her face. "Noel, was it? Are you okay?"

"The Dark... Susano'o..." Noel says, a blank expression on her face.

Rachel turns to both Nu and Hakumen. "Mr. Hero, Nu. I have a proposition to make."

"No," Hakumen says flatly.

"Oh my! Refusing when you haven't already heard the question? How rude of you. I am wounded. Truly, I am," Rachel says. "I wish for you two to become my servants."

"Hell no!" Nu yells.

"Perhaps I should put this another way. It appears that Takamagahara is beginning to move. Terumi has begun to establish his existence, if that small mind of yours does not remember."

"You... you opened the Tsukuyomi Unit, didn't you!?" Hakumen asks.

"Yes. That is what I had disappeared for back there," Rachel responds.

"It seems as though your mind is set. I will not be enslaved to you, however you will have my assistance," Hakumen says.

"I go where Hakumen goes," Nu says.

"You don't have to keep the act up anymore, Nu," Hakumen shakes his head, pointing at Ragna, who looks directly at him with a hateful glare.

"Jin, you son of a bitch," Ragna says, walking up to him.

"For me, it has been quite a long time... Ranga the Bloodedge. Brother," Hakumen says.

"Take that shitty mask off right now. Take that _armor_ off, actually," Ragna says.

"I'm afraid the answer is no. However, as a parting gift, I'll take the mask off at least," Hakumen says, lifting the helm of the Susano'o Unit, revealing his face. It looks exactly like Jin's, but a bit older. He looks to be the same age as Ragna. His icy cold eyes stare into Ragna's.

"You little crybaby... it really is you. Looks like you've grown up..." Ragna says.

"I have no desire to pierce you with this blade. You have five minutes before I change my mind," Hakumen says, putting his helm back on.

"Now then... do you mind telling me my answers now?" Ragna asks, pointing his sword at Hakumen.

"Aww... isn't this such a happy family reunion? All that's missing is a certain little sister," Nu says, glaring at Hakumen.

"When did you and Nu pair up, Jin? When did you become this 'Hakumen' or whatever you call yourself?" Ragna asks.

"Those questions are best left unanswered. I fear what may happen if I do," Hakumen says. "One minute is up. You have four to get out of my sight."

"Tch... I'll get my answers from you someday," Ragna says, turning around and leaving the gate. Noel runs after him, leaving just Rachel, Nu and Hakumen.

"Kokonoe, I presume you have been listening in to this whole thing?" Rachel asks.

"Yeah. Terumi's back... that bastard finally returned. I'm gonna get him. I'll be the one to do it," Kokonoe says. Hakumen doesn't know where her voice is coming from, but he doesn't care either.

"I'm afraid I require your assistance. You see, Mr. Hero and Nu have gotten themselves into a little scrap, and they need a place to recover. I request that you allow them to stay with you until they get better," Rachel says.

Hakumen is about to interrupt, but Kokonoe does it for him.

"Well well well... it's not every day that you ask me favors, you know. Aww what the hell, I'll bite. Hakumen and Nu helped me out, so I'll help them out too, as much as I don't want to," Kokonoe says. "I'll have Tager come over and bring them here."

"Good," Rachel says, disappearing. Now all who remain are Hakumen and Nu.

Hakumen crosses his arms. "You know."

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know what Hakumen is talking about. It was clear that he was surprised when she said it before.

"Why didn't you tell me, Jin?" Nu asks.

"I have my reasons," Hakumen says.

"Don't give me that!" Nu yells, turning to him. Hakumen whirls around and puts his face close to hers.

"Then you tell me, Nu. Is it a good idea to tell the clone of your little sister that she is a clone while she's going through an existential crisis!? Is that a good idea?" Hakumen asks. "I was protecting you from your own identity. I didn't want you to know that you were a clone of Saya. It took me a long time to figure out, but I eventually pieced it together. I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want to hurt you. You were still trying to find out just who you were, what you wanted to be. I realize now that it would have been better for me to tell you than for you to figure it out on your own. However, I just wanted to protect you... I just wanted to make amends."

"For what?" Nu asks.

"For treating her the way I did," Hakumen says. "I treated her horribly. I bullied her because I was jealous of her attachment to Ragna. 'If Saya can have Ragna, then why can't I? Why does Saya always get the attention?' I repeatedly asked myself. I decided that I would bully her in hopes of her running away from home so I could have Ragna's attention to myself. It was very selfish of me, and I regret that, looking back. There are many things that I did as Jin Kisaragi that I regret."

"Jin...?" Nu asks. Hakumen looks at her again. "I have another question... why were you acting so mad when you fought against the other me?"

"That's a tale for another time," Hakumen says. "Let's just wait for the Red Devil to arrive."

Nu nods, and Hakumen sits down. She sits right next to him and rests her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes. "I don't think I have a right to say this... but... I forgive you, Jin."

Hakumen chuckles. "I suppose you can get away with that."


	7. Chapter 6

Nu slowly opens her eye to find herself in a big, open room made almost completely out of metal. To her it looks like some kind of science lab. She tries to remember how and why she got here, thinking about her fight with the Nu of this timeline, and then Terumi appearing out of nowhere, and then her talk with Hakumen.

"I see that you're up, Nu," Hakumen's voice says. She groggily turns her head to see Hakumen's helm pointed at her. She could only assume he was staring at her.

"Jin?" she rubs her eye and yawns. He can't help but find it cute. "You know, I never know if you're looking at me in the eye with that stupid mask on. Who knows, you could be staring right at my-"

"That's not the case, Nu," Hakumen interrupts her.

"You sure, big guy?" Nu asks, smirking at the armored man.

"Every minute of your life is spent torturing me," Hakumen deadpans. "You're no better than the vampire."

"That shriveled old hag? C'mon, Jinny! I'm not _that_ bad, am I?"

The armor stiffens and Nu giggles. "J-Jinny!? You see, this is why I'm thoroughly convinced that your sole reason for existing is to annoy me."

"So... Snakey's back, huh? I thought you got rid of him...?" Nu asks, the mood of the conversation taking a complete 180.

"No, I did. Along with the cat, we had managed to defeat him. I do not know how he is back, but... that doesn't matter right now. What matters is the fact that he _is_ back right now, and he has something planned. I am 100% positive about that," Hakumen says. Nu gets up and motions for Hakumen to turn around as she gets out of the dress she wears when she sleeps, changing into her regular bodysuit. When she walks forward past Hakumen with the cape she wears over the suit in hand, he follows her out the door.

"But what do you think he's planning, Jin?" Nu asks as she throws the cape over herself. Hakumen looks down the halls. The halls look like they could be a part of a labyrinth. There are multiple halls and even more rooms to go along with it. At the end of the hallway they're standing in is a door that's much larger than the others. Hakumen assumes that Kokonoe is in that room, along with the Red Devil, Iron Tager.

"I cannot say for sure just yet, but he wanted Noel Vermillion to observe him," Hakumen says.

"You're right. So maybe it's got something to do with her? Like it or not, I think we need to pair up with Ragna since that crybaby took off with him," Nu says.

"Speaking any more with my brother is something I wish to avoid. He has such a... standoffish personality," Hakumen says. "But I see your point. You accompany Ragna, while I work on my own."

"Jin!?" Nu's surprised by Hakumen's suggestion. She's never worked alone before. She's always been with him. The very idea of being on her own frightens her a little bit, but the thought of being near Ragna calms her down.

"I trust you, Nu. I am sure that you can get the job done," Hakumen says.

"...Thanks..." Nu says, faintly smiling, turning her head to the ground as she blushes. The two reach the door, and Hakumen knocks on it.

"Grimalkin, the two of us are here," Hakumen says.

The door immediately opens to a smiling Kokonoe. Hakumen once again does not trust that smile. Kokonoe gestures for them to come in. The room looks like a complete mess. There are multiple books and devices that Hakumen can't even describe strewn all over the floor, with no rhyme or reason. It looks like they were just thrown around when they became of no use to the pink haired cat. Hakumen cringes at the untidiness.

"I'm so glad to see the two of you! Well, more so Nu than you, Hakumen," Kokonoe says, giving Nu a warm smile.

"You're acting rather kind today, Grimalkin. What is going through that corrupted mind of yours?" Hakumen asks.

"Well, I was hoping to get a little research done. Not on you, Hakumen. But on Nu," Kokonoe says.

Nu looks away from Kokonoe immediately, focusing her attention on a stray cup that found its way to the ground. Some liquid had spilled out of it.

"Wh-What kind...?" Nu asks timidly.

"Have you no tact, Grimalkin? Surely you must know that she is a Murakumo Unit. Surely you must know the torture that she had to go through," Hakumen says, pulling Kokonoe away from Nu so that she couldn't hear the two of them. Behind his helm he angrily stares at Kokonoe, and she feels his terrifying gaze. The multiple eyes of the armor also direct their gaze to her. "The poor child still has nightmares about it to this day. If you intend to make her re-live that then I will destroy you without hesitation."

"No... I would... I'd never do something like that," Kokonoe says. "God, no..."

"What do you intend to do with her?" Hakumen asks slowly.

"Well, as you said before she's a Murakumo Unit. I just want to study her for a project I'm working on. You can trust me, I'd never do anything to put her through the same torture she had to go through before..." Kokonoe says.

"Are you going to hurt me?" Nu asks. Kokonoe and Hakumen turn their heads to Nu, who's looking at Kokonoe with a serious look in her eye.

"No, of course not. I'm just going to run some tests on you, that's all. You're a Murakumo Unit, and I need some data on them for a project that I'm working on," Kokonoe explains.

"Would you care to explain what this project of yours is?" Hakumen asks.

"Well, I'll tell ya what it's gonna do. It's gonna blast Terumi out of the water, that's what it's gonna do! You mark my words, Hakumen. One of the Six Heroes or not, Terumi's mine!" Kokonoe yells.

"I see," Hakumen says. "I have no place to make this decision for her. Nu, this is up to you."

"So long as you don't hurt me, we'll be fine," Nu says. "Though I hope you would understand if I'm a little nervous."

"Of course. Don't worry, you'll be safe," Kokonoe says. "Now then, Hakumen... I think you should probably leave."

"No," Hakumen shakes his head. "I will not leave this room without Nu. I will supervise this."

"No, you're not, you stubborn little asshole! Don't forget who brought you out of the Boundary! I'd be more than happy to throw you back in," Kokonoe says.

"I do not have the time to waste on this," Hakumen says. He turns around and leaves the room, but not before giving Nu one final look.

Outside of the door to Kokonoe's lab, Hakumen sees Tager passing by, making a very, very loud noise. That loud noise, however, is just his feet touching the ground.

"Red Devil. It is a surprise that I haven't seen you around, seeing as though you are almost always with the Grimalkin," Hakumen says, crossing his arms.

"Hakumen," Tager only nods at the armored man, entering the door behind Hakumen.

"Not very talkative today, are you?" Hakumen asks himself as he walks through the halls of Sector Seven. Hakumen doesn't pay attention to where he's going as he walks. He would rather think at this point.

'So you are back... Terumi,' Hakumen thinks. 'It feels like just yesterday that we were working together to defeat the Black Beast. However, I am not sentimental about working with you. Nu may have taken a liking to you, however I do not.'

Hakumen never understood why Terumi was so appealing to Nu. She didn't really like him at first like the other Six Heroes, however during the period of time when the Black Beast lied dormant, something had changed and Nu began to warm up to Terumi. He supposes that she and Terumi had time to talk to one another while it slept.

'Kokonoe, you will reckon the day that you hurt Nu,' Hakumen thinks, clenching a fist. He finds himself walking through what looks like some kind of storage facility. Hakumen looks down from the catwalk that he stands on and sees multiple holes littering the ground.

"Are those..." Hakumen doesn't believe the sight before him. He raises his fist into the air and slams it down onto the catwalk, causing it to shake at little. "Does the Grimalkin not know the terror of these monstrous weapons!?"

Below him there is a massive array of nuclear warheads. He has no idea why Kokonoe is storing them. They don't seem to be active, and they show no signs of becoming active for a while now. Just seeing them, however, triggers bad memories to go through Hakumen's mind. Memories of how the world was decimated one hundred years ago by weapons similar to these.

"Damn the Grimalkin! She never ceases to surprise me with how low she can go!" Hakumen swears. "They do not seem to be active, however. The fact that she is keeping these are deplorable, however there is no point confronting her about them if she does not plan to use them. I will be wary of her owning these, however..."

Hakumen decides that it would be best if he were to head back. He suspects that Kokonoe will release Nu when she's ready, so he has nothing to do but wait for her to return. Then they can start acting out against Terumi.

"First she wants to run tests on Nu, and now I find out that she owns nuclear weapons!? What else is the Grimalkin going to do!?" Hakumen asks himself as he walks through the halls of Sector Seven. He mentally curses himself for not paying attention to where he was going the last time. He has to figure his way back on his own.

"At least I didn't go up or down any floors..." Hakumen says.

* * *

"Kokonoe? I wanted to-" Tager pauses when he sees Kokonoe merely looking at two containers that held two girls within them, each with very long hair. She slowly turns to him. "Is this a bad time?"

"Oh, no. Everything's fine. What did you need, Tager?" Kokonoe asks.

"I wanted to talk to you about something found during the last repair," Tager says.

"Is this urgent?" Kokonoe asks.

"No, it's just a circuit with rather low proximity," Tager shakes his head.

Kokonoe nods. "Okay, we'll check that out next time. Anything else?"

"That's everything," Tager says. He leaves the room, the door silently shutting behind him. Kokonoe stares at the door for a moment before walking over to it and locking it tightly. She lets out a sigh.

"This room reminds me of how terrible my crimes are... Well, not just this room... just about every damn room in this place reminds me," Kokonoe says. She turns to the containers with the girls in them and looks at the one with the white hair first.

"Nu, I have to thank you for agreeing to do this for me... I know that it must be soul crushing for you... To make it up for you I'll give you something nice..." Kokonoe says. "It takes a lot of bravery to go through something like this again."

She turns to the other girl. "And Lambda... I'm not gonna say something stupid like asking for your forgiveness for turning you into my personal tool. All I can really say is... I'm sorry. I'm only going to have a short window of time to activate it. Fortunately that window should be coming right up. Your soul isn't here yet, but there's some memory data still left. I'm... going to have to delete that. There's something that I need to do, and I need you to help me do it. It's not like you've got much of a choice... So, go ahead and hate me all you want, if it helps."

Kokonoe picks up something that appears to be a switch. She knows that Lambda couldn't hear her even if she tried, so she says nothing more. She only looks at Nu, whose face contorts in pain.

"Hakumen warned me about this..." Kokonoe says. "The nightmares are starting up again, aren't they Nu? Don't worry... just be strong. It'll all be over eventually. I only need to make a copy of your data, and then you can get out of there. You know, as much as I don't like you Hakumen... you take excellent care of her..."

* * *

Kokonoe doesn't expect Hakumen to enter her lab without him asking her permission first. She expects him to say something to her in an angry tone, however he just sits down and looks at Nu.

"You came to check up on her?" Kokonoe asks. It's been two days since Nu agreed to let Kokonoe run some tests on her. Hakumen has patiently waited for her return, and he wanted to see the progress she's made so far.

"How is she?" Hakumen asks.

"She's doing just fine, Hakumen. Every once in a while she starts looking like she's in pain and her heart rate increases, but that's just her having a nightmare," Kokonoe says.

"She's stopped having them lately. But, I suppose they started up again since you asked her if you could run some tests," Hakumen says.

"Are you mad?" Kokonoe asks. Hakumen notices that she's not as standoffish today as she was all the other times he's talked to her.

"A little. But everyone has nightmares. I've recently begun to have one of mine show up more and more ever since I fought the other Nu at the gate," Hakumen says.

"I see..." Kokonoe says.

"This is all that I came here to see," Hakumen says, standing up and turning around. Before he exits the door he turns his head to Kokonoe. "Thank you for taking care of her."

He walks out the door, leaving a startled Kokonoe.

"He actually said thank you? Jeez, I guess he turns into a real softy when something concerns Nu..." Kokonoe says. She turns to the other girl. "Now, how are you feeling right now, Lambda?"

The figure is aware that Kokonoe is talking to her, but there's no possible way that she can respond to her if she can't move her mouth.

"Right, of course. It's not like you can speak back anyway," Kokonoe says. "Your memory data is still there, but I can't seem to read these emotion spikes. I guess that's your consciousness. I'm sorry, but I'm gonna have to take that away too. I've... already reached the point of no return."

She take a look at Nu, whose eyes are open and are staring right at her.

"How are you, Nu? Any better?" Kokonoe asks. "Not like you can respond either, though. Since you're awake, though, I can tell you that you're really brave for going through this. I'm sorry for making you relive this again... I just knew that something was wrong when I saw that eye of yours... I'm not going to ask what they did to you and why."

Kokonoe is referring to Nu's right eye, which, in contrast to her other eye, is completely and utterly red. There are signs of an iris and a pupil there, but they're lighter colors of red. Kokonoe can only guess what they did to her. She turns away from Nu and looks back to Lambda.

"Alright, let's get started," she says. She presses a button and all of a sudden Lambda starts thrashing about in her container, her mouth open and screaming.

"It hurts! Stop it! Please, stop! It hurts!" Lambda screams.

"Calm down! Those aren't your memories!" Kokonoe yells.

"No! It hurts! Stop! Somebody please help me!"

"Why are they just standing there!? Why!? Do they like this!? Do they like my suffering!? I'm not a tool... I'm not a tool!" Lambda yells.

"Just what did they _do_ , Nu!?" Kokonoe asks, glancing at the other girl. "I thought we could keep this under control, but... looks like the calculations won't be much help with this one. Fine... we don't have much choice."

"I said stop hurting me...! Why are you doing this to me!? I didn't do anything... I hate you... I hate you... I hate you... I hate you!" Lambda lets out another scream as her elbow collides with the glass container.

"I'm going to erase all of your memories now. When It's done you'll just be an empty shell. You can't hear me, but... I'm sorry Lambda. It's over," Kokonoe says, pushing another button.

"Ragna..." Lambda says before her eyes shut.

* * *

"Kokonoe..." Nu says, putting her clothes on. Kokonoe took her out of the container she was being kept in and gave her clothes back to her.

"How do you feel, Nu? Everything okay? You might feel a little weird, but that's only because I had repaired some parts that were damaged and also installed something new," Kokonoe says.

"I'm fine... but... I'm sorry, the next time that you ask me to do something like this I'll refuse," Nu says.

"I... can see why," Kokonoe shakes her head.

"Those memories were just too painful to relive..." Nu says. "I couldn't stop thinking about them whenever I was awake, and when I slept I was having nightmares about them, too..."

"Nu, I'm sorry that you had to go through that again..." Kokonoe says.

"It's... fine. Everyone has to face their fears one day, right...?" Nu asks. She dons a more serious look on her face. "So, what was that thing you installed?"

"I was hoping you'd ask me that!" Kokonoe grins mischievously. "This thing is gonna knock Terumi's socks off! I even put it in my project, too! I call it the Idea Engine. Think of it as a gift for having to go through all that. But it _might_ have some negative effects since you only have the prototype of it, okay? I gave the finished product to my project. I can't really say for sure on that one, so just be careful with it, okay?"

"Well, as long as it'll rip Terumi a new asshole, I'm in," Nu says with a smile. "So, what's that project you were working on, anyway?"

"I don't think that now's a good time to show you. I'm still getting some kinks worked out in it. Don't worry though, you'll probably meet up with it if you're going after Terumi," Kokonoe explains. Hakumen enters the door as if on cue and takes a look at Nu.

"How was it," he asks in a commanding tone.

"Everything came out okay in the end. Kokonoe got the data that she needed from me and she can start finishing her project up. We're going now, aren't we, Ji- I mean Hakumen?" Nu asks, walking up to Hakumen and giving him a hug.

"Yes. Remember what I said to you before. You go with Ragna. I'll go on my own way," Hakumen instructs. Nu nods her head rapidly before jumping onto Hakumen's back as he walks out the door.

"Those two are like brother and sister..." Kokonoe comments as she turns back to Lambda, who's standing in the corner. "Now then, Lambda..."

"Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Complete."

* * *

Nu stands in Kagutsuchi alone, waiting to see if Ragna would pass by. He knows that the Noel girl is following him around, so she could use her as a guide too if she saw her. While she waits, however, she figures that it's the perfect time to gather her thoughts about everything that's happened so far.

"So Kokonoe made this project that she needed my data for... I wonder what the hell it even is, anyway... And what's this Idea Engine bull again, anyway? I don't think I'll be using it at all. She didn't even give me instructions! Oh well. I can make it out just fine with my BlazBlue anyway, so I don't really care about it that much. Just some bloatware for me, I guess," Nu thinks out loud.

She waits several moments before she lets out an annoyed groan. "Come on, Ragna! Where the hell are you!?"

"Someone call?" Ragna's voice asks. Nu turns her head to the left quickly to see Ragna walking up to her. "Hey Nu. I saw you walking around like you were completely friggin' lost so I decided to come and say hey. Least I could do after you saved my skin back there, along with that bastard Jin... I can't believe that..."

"Hey, Jin's not a bastard, you ass!" Nu yells. "He's my older brother! He treats me like a princess!"

"Treats you like a princess, huh?" Ragna asks, mocking Nu's voice. "And how is he your brother, anyway? I guess you've known each other long enough to think that highly of one another..."

"Hey, where's that Noel girl?" Nu asks, looking behind Ragna.

"Oh, her? I ditched her a while back. She was really getting on my nerves. Anyway, where the hell is Jin? Usually you're with him, right?" Ragna asks.

"Me and Jin split up a bit back. His exact words were 'I don't wanna be near my annoying ass older brother because I might run Ookami through his spinal cord if he calls me a bastard one more time!'," Nu says, nodding afterwards as if to give it a final confirmation that that was what Hakumen said.

"It's friggin' Jin, Nu. I'm actually surprised he wasn't here. Normally he'd be saying something like 'Oh, brother! I finally get to meet you again! Let's kill each other, brother! I'm gonna enjoy killing you brother!'," Ragna shakes his head.

"My Jin's different than yours, you know. He's more mature!" Nu says. "Buuut no. He didn't really say that. He just didn't want to be near you at all right now."

"Oh, that's right... he wasn't like that at all when you two were fighting against me. He was all 'Come, Dark One! I will end the suffering and misery that you have caused throughout the world!' and shit like that," Ragna mocks Hakumen's voice. "You know, you're a lot different than the other Nu yourself."

"So, where are we going, Ragna?" Nu asks.

"What do you mean, we?" Ragna asks.

"I'm following you around! Jin told me to! He said he's gonna look for Terumi on his own because he doesn't want me getting hurt, so he said going with you would be the safest option," Nu says.

"You're not gonna leave me alone, are you? Alright, fine. Well I'm going to look around for Terumi too. I'm not letting him get away," Ragna says.

"Alright then, it sounds like a plan!" Nu says. "I don't think he'll be able to stand two BlazBlues if we find him, anyway."

"Hey, that's right, you've got a BlazBlue too..." Ragna says. "Well, let's get moving, Nu. We've got a long way to go before we can find him. He's probably hiding somewhere like the rat he is. So, what's the deal with Jin? How come he doesn't wanna see me?"

"Well, there's just a lot on his mind right now and he doesn't want to deal with you. Even if he didn't tell me out front himself that he's been having some problems, I've known him for a really long time so I know when he's worried about something. I think it's got something to do with the other me," Nu explains.

"Well then, I guess it's just the two of us, then," Ragna says, motioning for the two to start moving forward.

* * *

"Something is wrong," Hakumen says. He walks through Kagutsuchi on his own, as he intended. "Something feels... off. It has been this way ever since I arrived here. It feels discomforting..."

Hakumen settles into a fighting stance with Ookami drawn, and he slashes the sword downward, tearing through what seems to be empty space. Something leaps from the space he had cut, something invisible to the naked eye. Hakumen's eyes, however, are not normal at all. A vision appears before him.

 _"Hey, Hakumen, let's fight!" Nu stands in front of the armored man with a smile on her face. He and Nu stand in the port of Kagutsuchi, away from any eyes that may be watching them. It's the perfect arena for battle, and Nu wants to test her skills to make sure that she's able to fight._

 _"Why would you want to fight with me?" Hakumen asks her._

 _"So I can find out if I'm strong enough or not to fight Terumi with you," Nu says. "I wanna take Snakey down too, you know."_

 _"Hah. Fine, then. However, I will not hold back. You should do the same!" Hakumen says, lowering himself into a fighting stance._

 _..._

 _"Wh-what!? No way, did I actually win!?" Nu cries out in joy, jumping around Hakumen in circles. He's on his knees, struggling to stand up once more._

 _"It seems as though you have bested me, Nu..." Hakumen says. "Now then, we should continue on our way."_

The vision fades out from Hakumen's sight, and he finds himself back in the port, the same place he watched himself get defeated in.

"So, that is what this feeling is coming from..." Hakumen says. "So, I lost to Nu? Losing to her... I suppose I can let that slide. She has been getting more and more powerful by the day... I'm proud. It seems like just yesterday she couldn't defeat the old wolf. With this, there can be no doubt that Takamagahara is beginning to move. A continuum shift, eh? An uncertain world full of possibilities... Takamagahara will choose destruction. He will not be able to fulfill whatever he is planning. Terumi... just what are you doing?"

"What am I doing? Well, I shouldn't ruin the surprise for you, Haku my man!"

"Graah!" Hakumen yells, slashing behind him. Hazama jumps backwards just in time to avoid the slice from Ookami.

"That's a family thing, isn't it? Jumping out at people and scaring the ever-loving shit out of them? I swear, you, Raggy, and Nu-nu are all the same," Hazama says, adjusting his fedora.

"What are you plotting, Terumi?" Hakumen asks.

"I just told you, you idiot. Were you even paying attention to me? Or were you thinking about your sister?" Hazama asks darkly.

"Then why are you here? To merely taunt me?" Hakumen asks.

"No, no! You've got it all wrong! I wanted to catch up with my old war hero, you know? I might pay a visit to that doll a little later, too! It's been a while, you know. And I hardly think you've been this active!" Hazama says, clapping his hands together.

"There is nothing that we need to speak about, Terumi," Hakumen says.

"Hahaha! Fine, fine, you hardass. I'll be going, now," Hazama says, waving goodbye to Hakumen. Hakumen lets out another yell and slashes at Hazama, only for it to be deflected easily by one of his butterfly knives. Hazama's hat flies off, revealing very spiky green hair.

"Don't tempt me," Hazama warns, his voice taking a more sinister tone. "Besides, I think you should be worrying about someone you know." He catches his fedora and uses his hand to comb his hair down before putting it back on.

"And who would that be?" Hakumen asks. "If you so much as touch Nu, Terumi, there will be hell to pay!"

"God, it's like she's all you care about anymore. Whatever happened to that other girl, you know? Tsubaki Yayoi? Or, maybe since you basically threw her out like the trash she is, you've completely forgotten about her!" Hazama laughs, one of his eyes opening to reveal his serpentine pupils. He leaves Hakumen there, struggling to decide what to do.

"Damn you, Terumi!" Hakumen yells, running out of the port and into the city.


	8. Chapter 7

Hakumen finally stops running when he reaches Orient Town.

"I have been running for quite a long time, yet there's no sign of Tsuabki anywhere... I think I should rest before continuing my search," Hakumen thinks aloud. After Terumi told him that Tsubaki is in danger he ran off looking for her. There's no sign of her anywhere, however.

"Terumi... was he just saying nonsense to try and catch me off guard? Is he trying to guide me away from something?" Hakumen asks.

If this timeline was anything like his own, then Tsubaki is in the NOL. Could she perhaps be at the Headquarters? Going back there doesn't seem like too much of a good idea to him, but then he remembers the fact that no one except for Noel Vermillion and himself were there the last time. He remembers giving Jin enough wounds to warrant a hospital trip. Noel is with Ragna, so he doesn't have to worry about running into her, either.

"It seems I should be heading to the NOL Headquarters, then. Maybe I can find Tsubaki there," Hakumen says. He begins to walk the same path he walked before to get to the headquarters.

* * *

"Something seems a little off, don't you think?" Ragna asks, stopping abruptly. Nu doesn't see Ragna stop and bumps into his back, tripping over him and falling to the floor. She gets up and dusts herself off before stepping in front of Ragna.

"Did you have to stop so suddenly?" Nu asks, staring angrily at Ragna. She then takes a look around and then nods her head. "Yeah, something does seem pretty off. It's like someone's watching us."

"Yeah, so I think whoever you are, you'd better show yourself!" Ragna yells, grabbing Bloodscythe and pointing in a random direction. A young child wearing purple clothing with a purple hat that seemed about half his size steps out of the shadows, along with a puppet that dwarfs him in comparison.

"So you were able to sense my presence. You're as good as they say, Ragna the Bloodedge," the boy says. Nu immediately takes notice of the fact that the boy makes attempts to speak like an adult.

"Nox Nyctores detected..." Nu speaks lowly, so no one can hear her. "It's the... puppet...?"

"I don't have the time to play around with little kiddies, you brat. What do you want?" Ragna asks.

"You may not have business with me, Ragna the Bloodedge, but I do," the boy says.

"This is the last warning that I'll give you, kiddo. If you don't want a beating, I suggest that you leave. Now," Ragna says, pointing Bloodscythe at the boy. Nu steps forward, stopping at Ragna's side.

"You're slowing us down, boy. I'm not too fond of babysitting either," Nu says, cracking her knuckles.

"Do you really think that big words will deter me?" the boy asks as the puppet that stands behind him starts to move. Nu stares at the way that it moves. It seems almost mechanical, but the doll looks very, very human. Something doesn't feel right when she looks at it. She doesn't let that bother her as a giant sword falls behind her.

"Two against two, eh? Well, looks like the stakes are pretty even," Ragna comments as Nu dons her Murakumo armor. She points a finger at the boy and one of the swords behind her back shoots forward. The puppet behind him intercepts the blade, deflecting it with just its hand.

Nu figures that the puppet is going to be a problem for the both of them. She decides that she has to split the two of them up to be able to fight better. Nu dashes forward and scoops the boy up from the ground while he wasn't looking. She then throws him away from his puppet. Nu doesn't stop there, summoning a sword to close in on the boy.

He gets up quickly and a machine pops out from behind the cape that he's wearing, surprising Nu. The machine blocks the sword and the boy starts running toward Nu with a battle cry.

"Dead Spike!" Ragna shouts as he slashes the ground. The beast-life formation kicks up out of the ground and hits the puppet, shooting it away from him and towards the boy.

"Shit!" he curses as he realizes that he just put the puppet and the boy back together again.

"Ragna, try to keep them away from each other! It looks like their strength lies in each other," Nu warns.

"I'm not going to let you separate me from my sister again!" the boy yells, throwing himself at Ragna. The man struggles to deflect the multiple pointed machinations coming out of the boy's cape with his sword, and a few pierce his shoulders. Nu jumps at the boy and kicks him away from Ragna, firing swords at him to keep him on his toes.

The doll suddenly teleports to the boy's location and blocks all of the swords with its body.

"The puppet seems to be protecting the kid. It's like it doesn't want the kid to be hurt..." Nu comments.

The doll catches the boy and sets him down on the ground very carefully before turning back to Ragna and Nu.

"Thanks, sis..." Nu hears the boy mutter under his breath. She freezes at the sudden realization.

'This boy is calling the puppet his sister? Is he on something that I should be knowing about? No, that can't be right... maybe since the Nox Nyctores is in the shape of a puppet he's calling it his sister? A Nox Nyctores takes something to give someone power, but what could it be taking from the boy? What is mine taking from me?' Nu thinks. She's caught off guard by the puppet extending its claws toward her. She quickly throws up her swords in a shield-like shape, blocking the claws from hurting her. Ragna jumps in while the puppet is recovering and slashes it vertically across the stomach, kicking it away and lunging at the kid. He punches the boy in the face, sending him flying away from the impact.

Ragna holds Bloodscythe dangerously close to the boy's face before stopping there, not wanting to deal the finishing blow.

"I told you what was going to happen to you, kid. Now go away, you're bothering me," Ragna says, putting his sword back. Just as he puts his sword back, he feels a searing pain shoot up his chest as he hears Nu scream his name.

He turns his head to Nu, and then to his chest where he sees just what had caused her to scream. The puppet with the boy had dealt a wound to Ragna. It looks serious.

"Ahaha... Thanks Sis... You're right... I can't do anything without you, sis..." the boy mutters. Nu watches as Ragna falls to the ground, a shocked expression on her face.

Nu runs to Ragna's side, dropping to her knees to check up on him. Ragna's eyes are shut and his breathing is weak. It looks like Ragna won't make it if he doesn't get treatment for his wounds soon. She looks at the boy and prepares the meanest glare she can muster before finding out that the boy had passed out as well.

She picks Ragna up and holds him bridal style, deciding to leave the boy there. She needed to get Ragna to somewhere where his wounds would be able to be treated.

"Aww, you're leaving so soon?" a familiar voice asks her. Nu turns around and sees a man with a suit walking up to her, throwing a knife carelessly into the air. He catches it perfectly every time before finally putting it away. He takes his fedora off and bows in front of Nu, smiling a little too politely at her.

"Snakey..." Nu mutters, putting Ragna down near a building. She didn't want Ragna to get hurt. "I've finally found you! Or, more like, you've finally come to me. So, how would you like to die? How does getting tons of little tiny cuts all over your body sound to you?"

"Whoa there, Nu-nu! I didn't come to fight, I only came to talk! Besides, I'm sure that you know you can't beat me," Hazama says with a smirk on his face. He takes a look around and sees the heavily wounded Ragna on the floor, along with the boy. "Looks like quite the brawl broke out around here. Those two are out cold, so it gives us some time alone, don't you think?"

"What do you want, Terumi?" Nu asks.

Hazama starts clapping. "You're getting more and more like Jin every day that you breathe. Then again, you look up to him sooo much, so I could see why you're picking up his qualities. Don't you think you're a little too attached to him? I mean, I get that you're his little sister and all, but there's just a line you don't cross and you're on the verge of crossing it, baby!"

"Shut up! I don't wanna hear your shit right now!" Nu yells, preparing herself to attack Hazama.

"I don't think you wanna try that, Nu," Hazama warns, one of his eyes opening just a little bit. "You might get a little bit too hurt. And I wouldn't wanna hurt you. You're too cute for that."

"Why did you come here?" Nu asks, still ready to fight at any given moment.

"Y'know, I went to go and see good ol' H-man a little bit earlier. He seemed like he was really distraught. I wonder what could have happened to him to make him like that? It really is a shame to see someone with so much composure to them act so jumpy like that! I mean, as soon as he heard my voice he slashed at me! That was really mean, you know. It hurts me. Really. Right here," Hazama points to his heart.

"Get to the point so I can start ripping you limb from limb!" Nu yells.

"Haven't you noticed...? Ever since the incident at the Sheol Gate Hakumen's been acting strange around you, hasn't he?" Hazama asks. "A little... distant, perhaps?"

"...That's right... Jin did say that he wanted to travel alone this time..." Nu says, looking down to the ground. She snaps her head back up before she starts giving in to what Hazama is saying. She knows the game he plays quite well. She wasn't going to fall for it.

"Aww... poor little dolly... in the dark as always..." Hazama shakes his head. He walks to her and puts a hand over her shoulders, making her shake a little in fear. She doesn't like this man's touch. She never has.

"Get your hands off me," Nu shakes him off, but he just grabs her shoulders once more. He starts to massage her shoulders as he leans forward she he can look at her face.

"Poor, poor little Nu... she's always in the dark... Hakumen never tells her anything. Can you believe that? Her own brother that she loves with all her heart won't tell her really important details... now that's just cruel, don't you think?" Hazama asks.

Nu deactivates her Murakumo Armor before staring at Hazama warily.

"Allow me to tell you a story, little doll..." Hazama says. He stops rubbing her shoulders and walks in front of her, that same smile on his face with his eyes closed. It never unnerved Nu this much, but now's a different story. She doesn't know what it is, but something about it is just creeping her out more than it usually does. "There once was a man. He was living a happy life. He had quickly reached up to the Major position in the NOL, and he was living in his position happily with the girl that he loves. Or, should I say... loved? One day... something terrible happens. The man catches word that someone is in his Hierarchical city. This somebody is someone who the man knows and loves, and hasn't seen for a long time. He goes without telling anyone, to see that man. He finds him at the Cauldron of the Hierarchical city. Catching word of his sudden disappearance, the girl goes to find him. When the girl finds him, he is fighting against the man who he set out to look for. It's a losing battle. The man is slowly being overpowered. That man is one Jin Kisaragi, and the other man is one Ragna the Bloodedge. Do you know the girl's name? It's Tsubaki Yayoi. She jumps in front of a blow meant for killing, protecting Jin using her body as a meat shield. Soon afterwards... a demon appears out of the Cauldron. This demon gets into a huge fight with both Ragna and Jin... but something happens, and that demon, right in front of Jin's eyes... kills Tsubaki Yayoi. The look of despair on his face was... priceless. He didn't see it coming at all. Neither did Ragna. Poor little Tsubaki Yayoi dies in Jin's arms... Do you know who the culprit of this murder is? Why, it's you, Nu! You're the one that killed Tsubaki Yayoi! You're the one who ripped everything from Jin's life away from him! In a last ditch effort, he tries to kill you, but you refuse to die. Not until you get your hands on Ragna the Bloodedge. Not until you become the Black Beast with him. Jin doesn't want that. He decides to tackle you into the Cauldron himself... and you both get sent back in time. I think you know what happens from then on."

"No..." Nu shakes her head at the thought of herself killing the woman that Jin loved. She remembers hearing him talking to her all the time about Tsubaki... and whenever he said that she had died and she inquired as to what killed her... he would always respond with one word. One word that stuck with her every day.

 _"Jin...? What killed that woman?"_

 _"A demon."_

"Yes, Nu! Yes! It was you who killed what he loved the most! It was you that took everything from him! Don't you know why he was fighting so tenaciously back there at the Cauldron? It was because it was finally his time to get revenge for what you did! He didn't want to kill you! He couldn't bear losing another loved one... so he had to settle for the next best thing. The you of this timeline," Hazama says.

"No, Jin wouldn't ever do something like that! He wouldn't ever!" Nu shakes her head rapidly.

"Oh, but don't you know? Deep down inside he hates you, Nu... if he truly loved you as much as you loved him, then why would he be acting so distant? Didn't he tell you that the nightmares were starting up again? The nightmares where he watches the demon kill Tsubaki over and over again, making him watch every time? If you want to keep your eyes closed, then that's fine. But just know this... Jin hates you with every fiber of his being," Hazama laughs at the tear falling down Nu's eye. "And it's all because of you..."

"...Jin... why...?"

"What do you want to do, Nu?" Hazama asks, a smile of anticipation on his face.

"I'm... I'm going to see Jin," Nu says, standing up. She begins walking away while Hazama watches from a distance. When she's a safe enough distance away, he starts clapping.

"I've gotta make myself some popcorn... this is going to be too good! Watch out, Jin! Your little sister's coming after you!"


	9. Chapter 8

Hakumen finds himself moving to the same gardens that he fought Iron Tager in while he was coming to save Nu from Jin after he had fought Bang.

"Hah. Why am I walking through the same places as before? If I am looking for Terumi, then surely he must be somewhere other than around here," Hakumen says to himself. "The NOL Library should be here, however. Maybe Tsubaki is there..."

"I'm sorry but trespassing in this area is forbidden. Please, leave immediately," a very, very familiar voice commands.

"This voice...!" Hakumen turns around, staring at the girl that stands in front of him in disbelief. She is every bit as beautiful as he remembers.

"Did you hear me? If you won't leave on your own, then in the name of the Library, I must resort to force," a young woman wearing a beige outfit walks up to Hakumen. She is wearing a cap of a similar color that has an eyeball on the front of it, covering part of her long, flowing red hair. Hakumen is stunned at the sight of her, and lets out a short gasp. He tries to regain his composure as he sees her walking up even closer.

"Can you hear me? It looks like you have a weapon, who are you?" she asks him.

"I am... Hakumen," he struggles with his words, choking out his answer. The woman's eyes widen at his words.

"Hakumen? No, that can't... but, he does look exactly like him... what are you doing here? You're... still alive," the girl says.

"Do you belong to the Librarium?" Hakumen asks.

"Oh! U-uh... yes! I am... Tsubaki Yayoi, First Lieutenant in the Novus Orbis Librarium Zero Squadron!" Tsubaki says, her words spilling out of her mouth.

Hakumen chuckles a little to himself before holding a hand up. "Calm yourself, Yayoi."

"I-I-I'm sorry... are you... Hakumen, of the Six Heroes?" Tsubaki asks. It looks like she's hyperventilating.

"Please, calm down, First Lieutenant Yayoi! Yes, I am Hakumen."

"Please excuse my insolent behavior..." Tsubaki says, finally calming herself down.

"You have nothing to apologize for. You were simply following the orders given to you," Hakumen says.

"It's... It's such an honor to meet you, Hakumen, sir! I really looked up to you, and I still do! I mean... how could I not? You're a hero, a legend!" Tsubaki gushes, her face turning completely red. "My mother read me all the picture books about you, and I saw every movie about the Six Heroes, and I own all of them too! And now you're right here in front of me! This must be a dream... Ah, Oh my god, what am I saying!?"

"Hah... I never knew that there was such a side to you," Hakumen comments, crossing his arms.

"Um... did you say something, sir?" Tsubaki asks.

"No, I said nothing," Hakumen says.

"So, Hakumen, sir... what brings you here?" Tsubaki asks.

"There is something that I must do. On my way to do it, I came across this place," Hakumen responds. How would she react if he told her that he was here to save her? Would she think he was crazy? Insane?

"A task? If you need something from the Librarium, I can escort you..." Tsubaki says.

'No, Tsubaki is safe. I do not need to be here anymore,' Hakumen thinks.

"Your offer is very much appreciated. However, my destination does not lie within the Librarium. I have simply become... lost. I haven't been here for... a very long time," Hakumen says.

"You've been here before?" Tsubaki asks.

"Yes," Hakumen nods. "But it has been quite a long time since."

He pauses before he speaks again.

"Tsubaki... I apologize for such an odd request, but may I see your face?" Hakumen asks. She walks in front of him and takes her hat off, to which he gets on his knees. She joins him on the ground, and slowly, tenderly, he puts a hand on her cheek.

"Um... sir...?" Tsubaki asks. What is he doing? His gaze feels sad.

"First Lieutenant... that is the Izayoi, isn't it?" Hakumen asks, looking at the clothing that Tsubaki is wearing, along with the armagus at her side. Why would she have the Izayoi on?

"Um... yes! It is the ars armagus Izayoi..." Tsubaki says.

He shakes his head. "It is a vile thing. I have heard many tales during the Great War of its power, but those who wield it never met pleasant ends. The end for those who lose their light... is a very, very cold thing."

"...Even so, there's someone that I have to save," Tsubaki says.

"Will you listen to the tale of this old man?" Hakumen asks.

"If you want to tell me then... I would be honored to listen," Tsubaki nods.

"Forgive me for this story not being terribly interesting, but it starts long ago. There was a lady by my side. We were childhood friends. Although... she could be... forceful at times," Hakumen says.

"So you had a childhood friend? That's understandable. Maybe she just couldn't bear to leave you alone..." Tsubaki says.

"This lady walked the same path as I- that of a warrior. Even then she was always by my side, always reminding me of an appointment that I would miss or responsibility that I had. It was... frustrating at times. But I cannot deny that it was comforting as well," Hakumen says.

"...I've always hoped for a relationship like that," Tsubaki comments.

"Unfortunately our situation... changed. I felt that there was something that I had to do, and I left her side. I was selfish. Naturally, she followed, hoping to snap me out of my senses..."

"I can really... understand how she must have felt," Tsubaki says.

"But I was young and foolish. I refused to listen to her and thought only of myself, and because of that... she died," he says. "I lost her, and by doing so, gained another burden for my soul. But her death was not in vain. It taught me that strength comes from the will to protect someone other than oneself. The courage that one must have to sacrifice themselves. That knowledge has made me stronger. With my partner... I fought the Black Beast, a monster that knew nothing save despair and chaos. I used the technique that bears her name and the courage she gave to my heart. It is because of her that I was not another casualty of the Great War. If I could, I would tell her... I can tell her... Thank you. And if I could, I would ask for her forgiveness."

"Hakumen... sir? I think that you don't need to ask for her forgiveness, because I don't think she ever blamed you for anything. I... I don't know what else I could say, but..."

"I apologize for making you sit through such a foolish story."

Tsubaki wipes a stray tear that had fallen from her eye and smiles at Hakumen. "I really envy that lady. After all, it was because of her that you defeated the Black Beast. I would like to be someone like that one day..."

"For you, something like that would be as simple as breathing," Hakumen chuckles. "I must go now, First Lieutenant. Do what you believe is right. Follow your own Justice."

He stands up and begins to walk away from Tsubaki. The NOL HQ is his destination. He feels something is waiting for him there.

"Farewell, Tsubaki Yayoi."

* * *

"So this is how she felt when she walked into this place?" Hakumen asks himself as he pushes open the large doors of the Librarium. It looks the exact same as he remembers it, but then again, it wouldn't have changed much. He sees a crater in the ground and instantly he has a vision of him throwing himself into the ground there.

"Someone is here..." Hakumen says to himself as he walks further in. The doors slam shut behind him and he hears the doors lock automatically. It must be some armagus that the NOL used to keep the doors shut to others. If he remembers correctly, Kagutsuchi is in a Level D warning due to Ragna the Bloodedge and himself.

Hakumen hears something zooming towards him and his hand shoots for the hilt of Ookami. He takes the sword out of the sheathe swiftly and blocks what looks like an orange blade. He gets a better look at it as it falls to the ground, fading away. The sword that Nu summons.

"You're here... brother..."

Hakumen turns his head towards the staircase going up to see Nu walking down the stairs in her Murakumo armor with a happy smile on her face.

"Nu, it has been a long time since we have seen each other. Have you had any luck finding Terumi?" Hakumen asks. Another sword shoots its way towards him and this time he steps out of the way.

"Shut up!" she barks at him.

"What is the meaning of this?" Hakumen asks, staring at Nu with cold eyes. Hakumen remembers that she had welcomed him a little cruelly before. Something is wrong. "Ah, you are mad about something, aren't you?"

"Mad...? Angry doesn't even begin to describe it! How _could_ you!?" She yells at him.

"How could I what?" Hakumen asks warily.

"How could you hide from me that I was the one who killed that woman!? How could you hide from me that I was the one who had given you constant nightmares every night!?" Nu asks.

"How did you find out about that!?" Hakumen yells.

"... _He_ told me," Nu looks down to the ground.

"You would put your trust in Terumi? You are still naive, Nu," Hakumen says. "Yes, it is true that you are the one who killed the Tsubaki Yayoi of our timeline, and it is true that I have constant nightmares about you killing her in front of me, not letting me do anything to you to stop her death."

"Is this a joke...? Has everything up to this point been a joke? Our companionship... our trust..." Nu clenches her fists and shakes her head again, her braid flying around helplessly. "Is this all a joke, _Jin Kisaragi!?_ "

Hearing Nu spit his name like that hurts Hakumen deep inside, but he keeps a strong exterior as he points his blade at Nu. She's getting hysterical. He needs to calm her down, and the only way for him to do that is...

"Do you hate me, Jin...? Do you...? Do you want me to die? Do you want to kill me?" Nu asks. The hurt in her voice is like a knife, stabbing Hakumen in the stomach and twisting around multiple times.

"There is no way for me to truly answer that question with words, Nu. Cross blades with me, and you will understand. But be warned. I will not hold anything back," Hakumen says. "Empty Sky True Form: Light of Judgement."

The air around Hakumen pulsates as a blue aura surrounds him.

"Then I'll do the same," Nu says. "Restriction 666 released. Dimensional interference field deployed. Murakumo Unit... active. BlazBlue activate!"

A sinister, black aura shoots out of the ground as Nu activates her BlazBlue. Hakumen senses more power in it than ever. Something is different about this activation. It's not like the others. It feels more sinister... evil.

"Here I come, Jin Kisaragi!" Nu yells, dashing towards Hakumen at a speed that even he has trouble seeing. He throws his blade up just in time to block her arm. He throws her off of him and slashes at her, which is easily deflected by one of her swords. She returns the blow with one of her own and Hakumen holds his arm up to form a shield. The sword bashes against the shield and is deflected effortlessly. Hakumen dispels it and reaches for Nu, grabbing her by the arm, spinning her around, and throwing her down into the ground.

"Not bad, Jin... you're as strong as I remember!" Nu yells as she hops off of the ground, spinning in the air and firing more swords at Hakumen. He forms his shield once more and blocks all of the swords before they can hit him and he falls to the ground safely. As soon as he lands he charges at Nu and tries to slash her with Ookami once more, but she jumps up into the air and lands on his blade.

"But with my BlazBlue, you're slow in my eyes," she says, spinning off of the sword and kicking Hakumen in the face. Due to the impact, Hakumen's helm flies off of his body. He pays no mind to it and once again grabs Nu, this time by the leg. He flips her over his body and slams her into the ground, but doesn't let go of her. He keeps on flipping her over him, slamming her into the ground over and over until she makes a crater in the floor. He then slams into her with his shoulder, sending her flying away from him.

"Hah! You might be faster than I am, but you are still weak," Hakumen says. "Refusing to learn what I have taught you countless times... Never get cocky in the middle of a battle, for you might wind up regretting it!"

He cracks his neck as he waits for Nu to return, holding Ookami at his side. As soon as he hears the sound of her feet gliding across the floor, he gets ready to defend himself from an attack. He sees Nu charging at him, leaving a trail of purple behind her. She has her hand held low to the ground, so he expects her to throw the swords that appear from the ground at him. He hasn't bothered to learn the names of her attacks.

"Die, Jin!" she yells as swords shoot up out of the ground right in front of him. Hakumen knew this attack was coming and jumps out of the way before they can pierce him. He stops to catch his breath and sees his helm lying on the floor next to him. He picks it up and puts it back onto his head.

"So, you wish to kill me, do you?" he asks. He slashes at Nu once more, but his attack is easily deflected by her swords. She punches Hakumen in the stomach, and when he lurches over, kicks him in the face again, sending him flying into the door. She doesn't give him time to breath as she lunges at him and slams her hand onto his throat, pinning him to the door.

"Ah. I see..." Hakumen says, a twinge of sorrow laced into his voice.

"All you've done is lied to me..." Nu says, looking down to the ground. "You've lied to me about who I really am... and now you've lied to me about who killed Tsubaki! When are you going to stop lying!?"

Hakumen takes the opportunity to kick Nu away from him while her grip loosens around his neck, sending her flying into one of the columns of the Librarium. She comes back fast, attempting to slash Hakumen with one of the swords behind her. He ducks underneath one of the swords and punches Nu upward into the air. He jumps up to meet her and spins himself around with his sword. Nu's eyes widen as she realizes what technique he's using.

"Tsubaki!"

Nu feels a searing pain shoot up her back as his sword runs across it and she's sent flying down to the ground. She reaches her arm out in hopes to break her fall, but she can't stop herself in time and feels herself sink into the floor. Hakumen lands on the floor and holds his blade at his side once more.

"It is over, Nu," Hakumen says. "You have lost." The dust that Nu kicked up clears to reveal the girl standing weakly on her feet, clutching her arm. Her bodysuit is ripped in multiple places and she's bleeding where the rips are, too. Hakumen knows that his sword caused all this, and seeing such a sight before him makes him mentally scold himself for hurting her this much. However, she is fighting to kill, for whatever reason.

She must be feeling a wide array of emotions. Betrayal, sorrow, anger... and if Terumi was the one that told her all of this information, then Hakumen is sure that he decided that he would twist it in a way that would send Nu into a blind fury. The tricky bastard knows how to get into anyone's head. Hakumen admits to falling prey to his venomous words when he mentioned Tsubaki. He knows what makes the two of them tick the most.

"No, it's not over yet..." Nu pants. "You always keep on lying, and lying, and lying to me under the guise of protecting me, but what you're doing is worse than telling me the truth... You said to me that one time that you wanted to make amends for what you did to Saya through me... But is lying to me the way you're doing it? I... hate you... You've stabbed me in the back too many times, Jin..."

"Stabbed you in the back?" Hakumen asks, not understanding what she means by that.

"You hate me, deep down inside! It's not that hard to figure out, Jin! Every time I would ask you about who killed Tsubaki you would respond with 'a demon killed her'... you kept on going on, and on, and on about how you were going to kill that demon when you found it, and how much you hated it because it plagues your dreams... It doesn't take a genius after seeing what I saw at the Sheol Gate to figure out that demon that you were talking about was me! I'm the demon! If I'm a demon in your eyes... how can you say that you cherish me?" Nu asks, her voice breaking as tears flow freely down her cheeks.

"That question... I cannot answer," Hakumen shakes his head.

"You always say that," Nu snaps.

Hakumen holds his blade in front of him once more, pointing it at Nu. "Come!"

Nu glares at Hakumen before running to him and pulling her arm back, the sword behind her following the motion. As she swipes her hand at Hakumen the swords all move at the same angle that her arm did. Hakumen blocks the sword attack with his own blade and slashes at Nu in retaliation. She ducks underneath of the blade and kicks Hakumen's leg. He punches her in the side and kicks her other. Nu cries out in pain as she regains her focus, punching at Hakumen's chest and making sure that the blade attached to her arm is pointing toward him.

Hakumen grabs her arm and throws it away from him, but not before delivering a swift kick to her legs. She falls to her knees and Hakumen raises his sword up into the air. Her eyes widen as she sees the blade fall down towards her, shutting them and waiting to meet her end. Surely this would be the end strike. He would decapitate her and this would all be over. Her pain, and his pain.

However, that end does not come. She hears his blade slam into the ground and opens her eyes to see him pulling it out of the ground. She gets up and kicks him hard in the stomach, causing him to lurch over. Hakumen's right fist connects with her chin before she can follow up on her attack. Hakumen leaps up from the ground once more to join her in the air. Nu, expecting the Tsubaki, holds her arms up, but is surprised when she feels Hakumen's fingers wrap around her wrists. He yanks her toward him and slams his head into hers, finishing up with a kick downward.

He lands on the floor only to have to jump into the air once more to dodge a giant sickle making its way towards him. Hakumen looks at Nu as she stands up and points her finger at him once more. Hakumen runs toward her and dodges all of the swords that come his way and when he reaches Nu he raises his sword up into the air and quickly swipes downward. One of Nu's swords clash with Ookami, and the two push against each others' swords.

"It ends here," Hakumen says, slashing Nu's sword away and thrusting his own forward.

In Hakumen's eyes, time freezes, and everything is put at a standstill. He keeps a steady grip in Ookami as he looks at Nu with sorrow in his eyes.

"Haku...men... why...?" Nu asks, struggling to stand.

"I would never be able to do it," Hakumen says. His sword is dangerously close to piercing Nu's head. In that moment, he had thrust his sword forward and purposefully missed. "Would you be able to kill me, given the chance?"

"...I... understand now..." Nu says, deactivating her Murakumo unit and her BlazBlue. "There were so many times that you..."

"Could have killed you, yes. You understand that you were outclassed this entire fight... that I had you at a disadvantage at all times. However, there were multiple times when you were wide open for a killing blow. I never took up that chance. Not because I wanted this fight to drag out, but because I was hoping that you would see. I cannot kill you. I... care for you too much."

"Then... why did you lie to me... about Tsubaki...?" Nu asks.

"I suppose it was another foolish thing that I have done in my life," Hakumen says. "Nu... tell me. Would you care to listen to this foolish man's foolish tale?"

Nu doesn't respond. She only sits down on the ground. Hakumen joins her.

"I do not know what Terumi said to you. However... it is true that you are the one who killed Tsubaki Yayoi. It is true that I, at the time, hated you. When we ended up outside of the Cauldron, in that field of grass... I was tempted to kill you right there. However, I didn't have the strength nor willpower to do it. I... wanted to die. That is why I had tackled you into the Cauldron. I thought that it would kill us both. I was wrong. We were picked up by Rachel Alucard... and taken to her mansion. She offered me the chance to become a real hero... and I took up her offer. She left you with the thought of what you wanted to do with your life past this point. You followed me around because I was the only person that you could immediately recognize. I... hated you. I didn't want you near me. You looked just like Saya... a painful reminder of other sins that I had committed back then, when I was Jin Kisaragi. Looking at you reminded me of two painful memories of the past... how could I not resent you? But... I realized that it was a perfect opportunity to at least obtain solace with Saya. I treated you how I should have treated Saya... and eventually, I came to care for you as if you truly were my little sister. It's funny how things work out... it turns out you _are_ my little sister, in a way," Hakumen says. "...Nu... you are one of the few things I cherish in this world. Never fall into the delusion that I hate you."

Tears begin to fall down Nu's face again as she says nothing, only jumping onto Hakumen and wrapping her arms around him. "I... never knew... that you cared for me that much..."

"Of course," Hakumen says.

"I... always felt that something was wrong, during that time at Rachel's mansion. I felt like there was a coldness to the way that you acted around me, but when you put on the Susano'o Unit, it felt like I was talking to and I knew a completely different person than Jin Kisaragi, the Major of the Library," Nu says. "I'm... glad that I got to meet Hakumen, and I didn't have to stay around Jin Kisaragi."

"Do you understand why I hate that man so?" Hakumen asks. "He is a reminder of my sins. Watching him walk down the path that he currently walks now disappoints me to no end. I despise Jin Kisaragi, and I will never be that man ever again."

"I can... still call you Jin, right?" Nu asks. "It's... it's just... Jin started to change for the better before he became Hakumen. I like him, too."

"...Sure," Hakumen nods. He looks up to the door of the Library to see a red haired girl walk in. She begins to look around before seeing Hakumen and Nu on the floor. She gasps and runs up to them.

"Oh my god, Hakumen, sir!" Tsubaki yells. "Are you okay? Who is this?"

Underneath his helm, Hakumen smiles. "First Lieutenant Tsubaki Yayoi... if you have watched the movies of the Six Heroes, then surely you would know who this is."

Tsubaki takes a closer look at Nu, and then beams. "N...Nu! Hakumen's trusted partner!"

"Yeah, that's me..." Nu smiles.

"What... what happened here? I felt as though something was wrong here... so I came and I found you two sitting here, with blood covering you!" Tsubaki says.

"Nothing, First Lieutenant," Hakumen says. "However, something _is_ awaiting us at the top of the Library. I am sure of it..." he turns his head to Nu, who nods her head in agreement. She didn't see which way he was going when she left to go and find Hakumen, but it did take her a while for her to get here, so he must have been able to enter beforehand.

"Hey, what the hell is going on here, I heard screaming!" Ragna's voice can be heard at the doorway. He turns his head to see the three on the ground near the entrance. "Holy shit, what happened to you!?"

"Look, we fought each other, alright!? Now, is there anyone else who needs to walk in!?" Nu yells, getting irritated that both people who ran in asked the same exact question. "And, you're okay, Ranga! How did you get fixed up?"

"Well, an old friend of mine took me to her home and took care of me till I felt better, and then all of a sudden I ran into this really weird kid, and then after that I ran into Rachel, who told me that I can't defeat Terumi. I kicked her ass and told her that it was a bunch of bullshit, and now I'm here," Ragna explains. "That's the quick version, though."

"The vampire is right. With what he has now you cannot defeat him. Nu cannot, either," Hakumen says.

"Oh, I don't need that coming out of your mouth, asshole!" Ragna shakes his head. "What are you gonna say that's different than what the rabbit said?"

"I can say more than she ever will. It is not because you are weaker than he. No, it is because of something that he owns. I am not sure exactly what it is yet, but both you and Nu will never be able to defeat him so long as he has it," Hakumen says. "The child of the Azure, Noel Vermillion... Dark One, where is she?"

"I got no idea. There were some really nasty clouds rolling in while I was coming here so I thought that I would head here to make sure everything was alright. I'm actually kind of glad that I ran into you guys..." Ragna says.

"What are you all talking about?" Tsubaki asks. "Who is Terumi? What does Noel have to do with any of this?"

"Listen, Tsubaki... this is something that we can explain later. Nu, Ragna... go to the top of the Librarium. Tsubaki and I will head down to the gate. Someone is there," Hakumen commands.

"Once again with the split-ups! Can't I just go with you for once, Hakumen!?" Nu asks, punching Hakumen in the shoulder. Hakumen fakes being hurt by her blow and laughs. She stands up and walks over to Ragna's side. He takes a look at the wounds on her body and gives her a concerned look, only to be met with an annoyed glare from Nu.

"What?" she asks.

"You're gonna be okay to fight with those wounds?" Ragna asks.

"The girl is nigh indestructible, Dark One. No matter how much you hurt her she will always be able to bounce back," Hakumen explains.

"Hey, you take good care of Hakumen, okay?" Nu tells Tsubaki. She nods in agreement with her command and watches the two walk up to the top of the Library, then turns back to Hakumen.

"I think it's really nice that you treat your partner like a little sister... however, that was Ragna the Bloodedge, was it not? What's stopping me from going up there and apprehending him right now?" Tsubaki asks.

"I will stop you," Hakumen says. "Do you wish to compare your justice to mine?"

Tsubaki backs down from that comment and motions to the elevator that will take the two down into the bottom of the Librarium. Hakumen stands up on his feet and leads the way downstairs, with Tsubaki following closely behind him.

"Is he a friend of yours too, Hakumen, sir?" Tsubaki asks.

"Please, you can just call me Hakumen. And yes, he is a... friend of mine. While we don't see eye to eye, we are... closer than one may think," Hakumen says.

"Why would one of the Six Heroes be friends with someone like Ragna the Bloodedge? It doesn't make sense to me," Tsubaki shakes her head.

"There are many things that you do not understand, Tsubaki Yayoi. Truthfully, I should not be taking you down here with me, but I am doing so anyway," Hakumen says. "Because... I trust you to not get yourself killed. Even if someone threatens your life I will protect you."

Hakumen steps off of the elevator as it stops at the gate. Or, at least, the remains of the gate. Something is definitely wrong with the place, as it does not look like how it did before. Hakumen didn't think that this place would be as destroyed as it is now. He understands that the battle with the Nu of this timeline obviously had some collateral damage involved, but not this much.

"Tsubaki...? What are you doing here?" Hakumen's own voice asks. Jin Kisaragi stands before the two. He originally was looking down into the gate, but when he heard the elevator he turned around and saw Hakumen and Tsubaki approaching.

"Jin...?" Tsubaki asks. She looks like she's in inner turmoil, but she otherwise shakes it off and smiles at him. "It's been a long time since we've seen each other, Jin."

"The same goes for you, Tsubaki," Jin nods. "So it's the three of us here, huh?"

"Why are you here, Jin Kisaragi?" Hakumen asks.

"Jubei told me to come here... he commended me for how much I have grown. He told me that something is here, but I do not know what," Jin explains.

"The cat...?" Hakumen asks.

"Yes, he was covered in wounds as well. Something must have happened to him. I asked him about it but he said nothing to me," Jin says.

"Something was able to wound Jubei!?" Hakumen asks in disbelief.

"Jubei is alive, too?" Tsubaki asks.

"Yes, he is alive and well, but from what Jin Kisaragi says, I do not think that he is that well anymore," Hakumen says. "Something that was able to wound the cat... I wonder what it could be..."

* * *

"Terumi's up there, then?" Ragna asks as the two run up the stairs of the Librarium. Nu nods, a look of rage on her face. She knew that she had been deceived. She knew what he was trying to do but she fell for it anyway. How could she have been tricked that easily? She was going to make Terumi pay with his life for making her try and kill her own brother out of blind rage.

"Yeah... I'm gonna make that bastard pay..." Nu clenches a fist.

Before they get any further, a portal appears in front of them. Ragna and Nu stop immediately and ready themselves for battle in case whatever came out of there was hostile.

From the portal, a young looking girl appears and gently floats down to the ground. She has long yellow hair tied up in a braid and is wearing a black bodysuit. There are eight swords floating behind her, and she has a visor that shows only one red eye.

"You. Have got. To be. Fucking kidding," Nu says in disbelief. How the hell was there another her running around if they took care of the Nu of this timeline already? Unless...

"Kokonoe, so this is what you needed me for, huh!?" Nu asks. She knows that the cat can hear her.

"Transfer complete," the Nu in front of them says.

"Good work, Lambda. Terumi should be just around the corner. Go up there an- oh, Ragna the Bloodedge and Nu-13. What are you two doing here?" Kokonoe's voice fills their minds.

"Really I should be asking you the same question. And what's with this fake me you've got running around? Is this the project that you were working on?" Nu asks.

"Yeah. This is Lambda-11. Salvaged her from Ibukido. This is what's going to kick the ever-loving shit out of Terumi," Kokonoe says.

"Target confirmed as Prime Field Device. Identifying... Target identified as Prime Field Device #13, Anti-Sankishin Core Unit Nu. I am Prime Field Device #11, Anti-Sankishin Core Unit Lambda," Lambda says.

"Look, I don't really care who you are. You're just a cheap knockoff of me," Nu spits. Ragna is surprised by the sudden hostility that Nu is showing, but then again, she showed the very same hostility toward the Nu of this timeline. Was it a Murakumo Unit thing?

"Uh, Nu... I don't think that we have the time to waste on this thing," Ragna says. Nu holds her hand up in front of his face.

"No, no, we've got plenty of time. Doesn't this thing look like some bootleg version of me? I mean, look at that hair color! I have silver hair, not yellow! And, a black bodysuit? I mean, seriously, are you even going to try? It looks so bad on such pale skin... And since Kokonoe had to take a copy of my battle data I'm sure that its got a really watered down version of my fighting style," Nu says.

"Target... hostile?" Lambda asks, tilting her head in confusion. Nu walks up to Lambda and puts an arm around her shoulder.

"Oh, Lambchops, you poor, poor soul... don't worry, your big sister Nu is going to make everything better. I'll show you how it's really done," Nu says, putting on her Murakumo armor.

"Lambda-11, switching to battle mode," Lambda says. "Conducting experiment."

"Yeah, I guess this will be a great warmup before she goes to kick Terumi's shit in. Lambda, go ahead and fight the two of them," Kokonoe says dismissively.

"I can't believe you actually called her Lambchops..." Ragna sighs, grabbing Bloodscythe. Nu only giggles in response. Lambda points towards Nu and two swords line themselves up with her arm. Nu does the same, ready to counter Lambda's every move.

"I wanna end this quick, because I wanna go and fight Terumi too," Nu says. "So let's go."


	10. Chapter 9

Nu shoots her swords forward and the same time that Lambda does, and the blades both collide with one another. Nu rushes in and grabs Lambda by the arm and throws her to the ground and jumps into the air, positioning herself so that she would land on Lambda. Lambda moves out of the way just in time to avoid getting guillotined by Nu's leg.

Ragna jumps in to surprise Lambda just as she's recovering, but his leg is blocked by Lambda's arm. He tries to punch her, but his fist only connects with her arm. Ragna spins around and lashes his foot out, but it's stopped by the sides of her swords forming a makeshift shield.

Nu jumps at Lambda and starts spinning in the air rapidly, becoming a tornado of blades. Ragna's eyes widen when he sees it flying toward him. He grabs Lambda up into the air and aims Bloodscythe's tip at her.

"This is gonna sting," Ragna says, as the blade part of the weapon shoots forward. Lambda gets sent flying into the air and is immediately caught by Nu's spinning body. Her body is carried with Nu until she gets flung at the wall. Nu lands on the ground perfectly, without missing a step. Ragna admires her ability to stay balanced with the moves that she does. Then again, he supposes that he has to chalk it up to her skills that she obtained when she fought the Black Beast long ago. He supposes that's why Hakumen is so much stronger than Jin, as well.

"Come on, Lambda! If you're gonna let me hit you that easily, then this fight is going to be over before you know it!" Nu puts her hands on her hips in a boisterous manner. Almost like she was proud of herself for actually landing her recent attack.

"You didn't think that was going to hit her at all, huh?" Ragna asks her. Nu turns around to face Ragna and smiles widely.

"Nope! Not at all!" Nu chuckles, giving the man a thumbs up. Ragna only sighs and slumps his shoulders.

Lambda finally emerges from the wall that she was thrown into and starts her attack on Nu and Ragna once more, this time falling low to the ground and twirling around. Nu immediately knows that her sickle is about to make its way through the floor toward them and jumps up into the air. She looks at where the sickle appears and is surprised to see how slow it's moving.

"That's a little disappointing," Nu comments, landing on the ground beside it. She puts her hand on the ground and then throws it up into the air, causing giant swords to shoot from the ground in front of her, going on a path to Lambda. They move relatively fast, but Lambda manages to dodge them just in time, feeling the sting of one of them cutting her flesh.

Ragna grabs Bloodscythe and holds it with the blade pointed towards him, leaping into the air towards Lambda and pressing a button on the side of Bloodscythe with his thumb. The blade ejects from the hilt and then turns itself, forming a makeshift scythe. He swings it downward, hitting Lambda right on the back. She doesn't make a sound as it rips into her skin, and Ragna pulls it out of her. He lands behind her and pulls back a fist, covering it with dark energy and charging at her.

"Hell's Fang!" he cries out, punching Lambda's back just as she turns around to try and block his strike. His fist connects with her stomach and she bends into him, then he uses his other hand to throw up a wave of red, flinging her away from Ragna and towards Nu. She smiles at the man and fires a sword at Lambda, hitting her out of the sky. Another sword appears behind her and slashes her arm and Nu jumps into the air to continue her attack. Even more swords make their way to Lambda's body, and finally Nu flips herself around, calling a giant, crescent shaped blade from out of nowhere. The blade hits Lambda head on and sends her down, back to the ground.

"Ragna!" Nu yells, getting Ragna's attention. The man nods his head and rushes over to Lambda, his hand growing into a claw of seithr. He grabs Lambda as she falls and hoists her up into the air.

"Let the darkness consume you!" Ragna yells as multiple waves of seithr shoot up from the ground and pierce Lambda's body. Then, the claw that Ragna's hand became explodes and Lambda is dropped to the floor. The Murakumo Unit attempts to move, but no matter how hard she tries not a single bone in her body refuses to listen to her.

"Damage... critical... Terminating battle mode..." Lambda mutters, laying there, staring up at the ceiling.

"Hey, Kokonoe? I made sure that your little toy wasn't completely destroyed. We're gonna go and head up to Terumi now, so you just watch us," Ragna says, walking past Lambda and up the stairs to the top part of the Librarium, Nu following him closely behind.

"Sorry Lambda, but sometimes you just gotta get yourself taught a lesson," Nu says, turning her head back to look at the other girl.

* * *

Hazama stares at the black, shining pillar in front of him with a gleeful smile on his face. He stands at the top part of the Librarium, awaiting a certain group of people that he's been waiting for. It's been quite some time. The sky above him is a dark yellow, with ominous clouds rolling in, covering the sun completely. The color compliments the floor that he is standing on.

On the pillar that he's staring at is a pulsating, blue symbol, and above that even further is what looks like a Cauldron with wings.

"You know, I was really hoping you'd wind up killing Jin, but I suppose that's the power of his Power of Order, isn't it?" Hazama asks, not bothering to turn around. He hears the footsteps of the two close by. He knows that they can hear him.

"Terumi!" Ragna yells, running from the staircase to Hazama. Before he can get close to the man Nu grabs him by the collar of his jacket and pulls him back to her.

"No, Ragna. Don't run in recklessly like that... I've fought alongside that man for years. I know what he's capable of, and if you just run in like that you're gonna die," Nu warns.

"You know me too well, Nu-nu," Hazama turns around to face the two now, done watching the pillar. "Ragna the Bloodedge, it's been a bit of time since I've seen you. How's that arm holding up?"

"Shut up you bastard!" Ragna yells. "Where the hell is Noel Vermillion!"

At that question, Hazama bursts out laughing. "Hahahahahaha! Oooh, that's a good one! You're a real slapstick genius! Ahahaha!"

"What's so funny?" Nu asks.

"Oh... it's just... haha... I've heard that line... hahaha... so many times!" Hazama wipes a stray tear from his eye before opening them and staring at Ragna and Nu. "Hahahahaha! I'm finally, finally here! Do you know how long I've been waiting for this!? How the hell could I _not_ laugh!? Hahahaha! Oh... I'm sorry about that. You're looking for Noel Vermillion, right? Well, miss Noel can be found right there. See her?"

Hazama points the Cauldron-like thing at the top of the pillar that he was staring at moments ago. Ragna and Nu look up to where he's pointing, and Ragna's eyes widen at the realization of what that is.

"That Cauldron can't be... No way!" Ragna stares at it in fear.

"Stop smelting right now, goddammit!" both Hazama and Ragna say at the same time. Hazama continues his laughing fit while a surprised look appears on Ragna's face as he directs his gaze to Hazama.

"This is just too great!" Hazama laughs once more.

"What the hell are you talking about!?" they speak at the same time once more.

"Gahahahahaha! This is too much! Ahahahaha!"

"What the hell is going on here!?" Ragna yells.

"Oh man, even if the little doll is here this still plays out the same! Don't tell me you don't get it!? I observed it. All of it. And it took a helluva long time to do it, too."

"You observed it?" Nu asks.

"Hmm, normally Raggy asks that question. But yes, I observed it. The continuum shift that Takamagahara made. Now, normally it's completely unpredictable but I just observed every pattern of it!" Hazama explains.

"Screw this, I've heard enough of your bullshit!" Ragna yells, ripping himself from Nu's grip and running toward Hazama. He takes out Bloodscythe and swings it at Hazama, but he easily deflects it and counters with a kick that sends Ragna to the floor. Before he can get up, Hazama stomps on the man's arm, keeping him pinned down.

"You should really follow little Nu-nu's example, Ragna. You shouldn't be so impatient. The good part is about to start, after all," Hazama says. His hat flies off of his head and lands on the ground a few feet to his left, near the pillar. His hair is spiked up, just like the last time that they saw him, in the Sheol Gate. "You see, sweet little Noel Vermillion is right here waiting for you. Are you just going to sit with your thumb up your ass like last time? Oh, and before you do anything..."

Hazama turns to Nu and fires a chain with a snake head at the tip of it. She can't react in time and she gets wrapped up in the chain. Hazama laughs to himself as he holds Nu up into the air and stares at her for a little bit, sticking his tongue out at her as she struggles to break free from the chains.

"You know, I had made the mistake of not watching you the last time that this continuum shift happened," Hazama says. "Nearly got my head cut off by you, you grubby little bitch!"

His attention is turned to Ragna once more as he hears Nu's continued grunts as she attempts to break free from the chains. Ragna tries to break free from Hazama's foot, but he rubs it into Ragna's arm causing him to grunt in pain.

"Oh, that's right! Someone cut off your arm! What? Oh, that's right... I DID! Aww, but don't be sad though little Raggy, I left you one other one so you should just switch hands!" Hazama laughs at his joke.

"You goddamn son of a bitch! I'm not gonna let you get away with this!" Hazama and Ragna yell at the same time.

"You little bastard... I bet you enjoy looking at me like this, huh?" Nu asks, glaring down at Hazama.

"Aww, Nu! I can't forget about you, dear. Here, you've been such a patient doll that I'll give you one free shot!" Hazama smirks at Nu as he lowers her to the floor. As soon as the chains that bound her retract, she runs to Hazama and reaches for him, trying to punch him in the face. Hazama laughs at her attack and pushes her arm out of the way, jumping backwards so Ragna can get up too.

"You know, I'm gonna enjoy this..." Hazama laughs.

"Oh yeah? I'm thinking the same thing too asshole! Restriction 666 released! Dimensional interference field deployed! BlazBlue... activate!" Ragna yells, a black aura beginning to surround him from his BlazBlue's activation.

"BlazBlue? That's a nice little toy you got there, Raggy! How'd you do that? It sounded something like... Restriction 666 released..." Hazama smiles. The ground beneath them starts to rumble tremendously, and Ragna almost loses his footing.

"Shit...! I completely forgot...!" Nu yells.

"Dimensional interference field deployed. Code S.O.L. Activate BlazBlue!" A green circle of energy appears around Hazama as the air around him explodes in a green fire. Ragna's eyes nearly pop out of their sockets as they widen at Hazama's activation of a BlazBlue.

"You... with a BlazBlue!? What the hell is going on here!?" Ragna yells.

"Oh, don't tell me that you don't get it. Come on, work those brain cells of yours! This is why you can't beat me, Rags! Make sure you write this down because there's going to be a test after. I'm the one who created the BlazBlue!" Hazama yells. He looks at Nu and smirks.

"Come on, Nu... aren't you gonna use yours? I'm so curious to see if you can beat me, too!" Hazama laughs.

"No, I'm not. I know it's useless and a waste of energy," Nu says. At her words, Ragna suddenly feels the effects of his Azure Grimoire starting to lessen. It lessens more and more until he can't even feel it anymore.

"What the hell is going on? I can't use my..." Ragna tries to move his arm but it refuses to listen.

"Alright, now let's have some fun, shall we!?" Hazama asks.

Ragna is the first to move, jumping into the air and covering his leg in darkness. Hazama easily deflects his Gauntlet Hades with his own leg and kicks Ragna with his other. Nu fires a few swords at Hazama, but they're easily deflected by his chains.

"Try harder! You guys are so boring!" Hazama yells, blocking another one of Ragna's attacks.

"Rising Fang!" he kicks Ragna far up into the air and then throws one of his chains at him. It wraps around his body and Hazama swings his hand downward, sending Ragna careening down into the ground. He slams into the floor, even creating a crater where he landed.

"Aw Nu, are you feeling lonely?" he turns his head to the girl and she takes a step back. She knows this side of Terumi the most, but she never thought that it would appear now of all times, against her. "Come on over, then. Let's play!"

Nu's eyes widen in surprise as she sees a green circle wrap itself around her. She tries to get out of the way, but it constricts her too fast for her to see. Hazama wraps a chain around her and pulls her toward him, getting out his knives in the process. Nu shuts her eyes as he readies them to start slashing her repeatedly.

"Die, die die die _DIE!"_ Hazama yells as he starts slashing her everywhere he could imagine. She can do nothing to stop him from cutting her up, still constricted by the green circle that surrounds her. She watches as three serpent heads appear behind Hazama. He throws both of his arms forward and they slam themselves into Nu, sending her spiraling away from him. Before she can hit the ground she holds her hand out in front of her and spins herself around, getting back onto her feet.

Hazama turns around just in time to see Ragna charging at him with Bloodscythe held out in front of him. Hazama throws his knives up and somehow blocks the attack. All of this seems so improbable to Ragna. How can Hazama block his giant sword with those little knives? How is he able to deflect Nu's swords with just chains? Is his BlazBlue really that strong? Ragna factors in that he's severely crippled and Nu knows that her BlazBlue will just be negated if she activates it, so he has the distinct advantage over them.

This really is a hopeless battle in Ragna's eyes.

"Dammit..." Ragna swears as Hazama jumps into the air and punches downward, hitting him right on the top of his head. Ragna is forced down from the impact and Hazama takes clear advantage of the situation, grabbing Ragna from the ground and kicking him away from him, right towards Nu. The girl sees Ragna flying towards her and holds her arms to catch him, but the notices the green circle start to appear around her once more. This time she's prepared, and instead of catching Ragna, pushes him away from her and jumps out of the way of the circle.

"It's impressive that you're able to keep up with me even with my BlazBlue activated, dolly. Maybe this isn't going to be as boring as I thought!" Hazama yells, throwing another chain at Nu. She smacks it away from her as she charges at Hazama, her swords lining up in front of her and ready to fire. She points at him and they all start shooting towards him at one second intervals. Dark green energy erupts from Hazama in the form of tendrils, and he sends them at Nu. They block all of the swords that she sent after him and attempt to wrap themselves around Nu, but she ducks underneath of them and starts running toward Hazama once more.

Ragna struggled to his feet once more and starts running alongside Nu. He's not about to let her fight Terumi all on her own. Call it selfish, but he was going to be the one to defeat Terumi, not her. Terumi has a lot that Ragna needs to pay back to him, and he was going to be the on that does it, not Nu. Nu's swords return to her and as she reaches Hazama she back flips, and the swords follow her movement, cutting Hazama right up his chest.

"Ouch, that actually kinda hurt you bitch!" Hazama grunts in pain as he kicks away Ragna once more. "Oh come on, would you just stop already, Raggy! You know that you can't beat me, so why do you even try!? As it is now, little Nu-nu here is the only one that can fight me on an even level... But even so, she's no match for me right now! Look at her, she's struggling!"

"I'm not gonna give up... I'm never going to give up!" Ragna yells, struggling to his feet once more. Hazama laughs at his effort and grabs Nu by the throat, hosting her into the air.

"Well Nu, looks like I'm gonna have a little fun with Raggy for a bit. So, if you don't mind..." Hazama begins. He drops Nu from the air and she prepares a counter attack, but Hazama disappears from sight. "JUST ROLL OVER AND DIE ALREADY!"

He reappears right in front of Nu and he kicks her chin, his leg accompanied by dark green energy. "Serpent's Infernal Rapture!"

Nu is sent flying into the pillar that shoots into the sky and makes an impact crater due to how hard Hazama kicked her. She sticks to the wall for a while before falling down to the ground, unable to do anything but watch as she plummets.

"Before I play with you, Raggy..." Hazama begins, walking to the pillar where Nu landed. He stares up at the Cauldron above and smiles at it.

"You bastard... are you trying to resurrect the Black Beast...?" Nu asks Hazama. He stops and looks at her in silence with a straight face for a few moments before laughing at her.

"The Black Beast!? What the hell would I want with that failed experiment?" Hazama asks.

"How can you say that it was a failure when all that shit happened!?" Nu yells.

"Yeah, it was a failure. It was a real pain in the ass to keep the Cauldron under control," Hazama says. "We learned all sorts of shit in the process, so... y'know."

"What do you mean by Cauldron?" Nu asks.

"I'd appreciate it if you payed more attention to this. These are your final moments after all. The Cauldron is the Grimoire's original form. It gathers souls to smelt the sword inside its body. That was our pet- the Beast! The Murakumo Unit is incomplete. It need the power of the Grimoire," Hazama says. "Don't you remember the you that belongs to this time not shutting up about it? Well, I mean, you did the same thing in your own timeline too but I suppose using something more recent would have been better. This one... this one's different! This thing embodies the _true_ Azure! Now, Murakumo... activate! This world is nothing but lies! Lies! Allow me to show you the truth! The truth called 'Despair'! In the name of Susano'o I command you! Murakumo, awaken! Behold the sword of the god-slayer, Kusanagi! Let all lies fall before your divine blade!"

The Cauldron above opens up to reveal a girl with very long blonde hair with blue eyes inside of it, almost completely naked. She starts falling from the cauldron as Murakumo armor appears on her body, much like Nu's. However, this one is much more... revealing. It leaves nothing for the mind to imagine.

"Finally, I've got the true successor to the Azure! Try and stop me now, Master Unit Amaterasu!" Hazama yells as the girl lands on the ground in front of Nu.

"You bastaaaard!" Ragna screams as he starts running to Hazama yet again. The girl blocks his attack flawlessly with her swords.

"Aww, now isn't that cute! Who's my good little sword...? It's you. Yes you are! Yes you are!" Hazama says in a baby-like tone. "Oh, now don't get jealous Rags, but this sword is all mine now. Isn't she nice, though? It wasn't cheap but I thought: 'You know, Hazama, you deserve this. Spoil yourself! Go for the 'Ragna's Little Sister model'! Oh, but don't worry though. You can still have the other Ragna's Little Sister model! She's right over there, see?" Hazama points to Nu, who stands up on her feet once more, still ready to fight with Hazama. "Though, I guess I played a little rough with her. Don't worry, she's really... durable. You see, this all works out in the end!"

"I'm gonna rip your goddamn head off!" Ragna yells, clearly in a blind rage.

"C'mon, Ragna, hate me more! Give me some of that delicious hatred! You know, it was you that's keeping me in this world, and now little miss Noel has given me a chance to stay! So hate me all you want! Come on, I need that hatred!" Hazama yells.

"Noel!" Nu yells. "I'll take care of you!"

Her swords reappear behind her and point themselves at Noel. The girl turns around and only stares at Nu.

"Ooh, now this should be interesting to watch! Nu-13 vs. Mu-12!" Hazama laughs to himself. "No, wait... Kusanagi, you don't have the time for this. You need to go down there and kick the ever-loving shit out of Amaterasu, so go ahead and do that for daddy."

Mu turns to Hazama and nods her head. "Acknowledged." Before anyone can stop her she dashes off, down into the Librarium.

"Oh, no, Jin!" Nu yells. She knows where she's heading, and she doesn't like it one bit.

"Shouldn't you have more pressing matters to worry about? Then again, I did say that I was gonna play with Raggy for a bit," Hazama says. "Though, I guess if you're in such a hurry to die I mind as well save you the agonizing wait. You were good Nu, I'll give you that."

The same tendrils that he shot at her before send themselves soaring toward her again. Nu knows that she has no time to dodge them and shuts her eyes tight. She hears her own voice grunt in pain and her eyes open themselves slowly to see Lambda standing in front of Nu, the tendrils meant for her coming out of the other.

"Lambda..." Nu mutters.

"You stupid doll...! Fine, then you can die too!" Hazama yells. He pulls the tendril out of Lambda, causing more blood to splatter on the ground. She falls into Nu, who catches her before she hits the ground.

"Shit!" Ragna yells, running over to Nu and Lambda.

"Rag...na..." Lambda utters.

"...Nu... it... it was you...?" Ragna asks.

"Did I do a good job... big sister...?" Nu-13 asks, looking at Nu.

"...Yes..." Nu mutters.

"Ragna... it's been a long time..." Nu-13 says, looking back to Ragna.

"For... for so long Nu was out in the Boundary by herself... I kept... I kept dreaming about you..." Nu-13 says. "That's why... Nu wasn't lonely..."

The girl starts to fade away as Ragna says, "I'm so sorry, Nu..."

"Nu will forever be by your sides..." Nu-13 says, as she completely fades away into little yellow orbs. Ragna starts sobbing uncontrollably when she's completely gone. Nu remains silent.

"This is bullshit! Why the hell did you die for us!?" Ragna asks.

"What is this?" Ragna hears Kokonoe's voice in his mind. "Ragna...? Ragna, this is you, isn't it?"

"Kokonoe..." Ragna says.

"How am I...? That's impossible...! Ragna, did you absorb Lambda's Idea Engine?" Kokonoe asks. "But how...?"

"Hey, uh... guys? It kinda really hurts when you just leave me out like that. I mean, I know you've got your own stuff, and that soap opera right there was a real hoot to watch, but... hey, wait a second..." Hazama looks at Ragna, whose fists start shaking.

"Restriction 666 released. Dimensional interference field deployed," Ragna says.

"What? We've been through this befo-" Hazama begins.

"Now engaging the Idea Engine! BlazBlue... activate!" Ragna yells.

"What!?" Hazama is taken by surprise at Ragna's sudden activation of his BlazBlue. The dark aura that normally surrounded him begins to surround him once more.

"I'm gonna kill you," he says darkly.

"He can use his BlazBlue...? The Idea Engine thing must have overridden it! Wait..." Nu begins.

 _"You only have a prototype. There'll be some negative drawbacks, though, so be careful. You'll know when to use it when the time comes."_

"Restriction 666 released... Dimensional interference field deployed... Engaging the Idea Engine... Murakumo Unit activate... Activate BlazBlue!" Nu yells. A dark, swirling energy erupts out of her, catching both Hazama and Ragna by surprise.

"Are you kidding me!?" Hazama yells. "Oh, this doesn't matter, I'll still wipe the floor with you!"

"Nu... you have that too?" Ragna asks.

"I'll _destroy_ you, Terumi!" Nu yells, rushing at Hazama. For what seems to be the first time in ages, the man's eyes widen. He is taken by utter surprise when Nu almost _teleports_ to him and picks him up effortlessly. She jumps high into the air and wraps her arms around him. He struggles to break free, but her grip is too strong. She drives him into the ground head first and jumps away from him. Hazama growls in rage as he stands up, firing a chain at Ragna. Ragna grabs it out of the air and pulls Hazama towards him, punching him in the face as soon as he gets close enough.

Hazama falls to the floor, but gets up immediately, using his knives to slash at Ragna's legs. His blades tear into Ragna's right leg, forcing him down. Hazama smirks and swipes downward, scooping Ragna out of the air. He jumps into the air and spins around, kicking him down to the ground. Ragna tries to get up but he's caught by Hazama and is thrown into the air again. This time, Hazama throws chains at him. They wrap around him and Hazama smiles as he starts laughing maniacally, throwing Ragna into the ground with the chains, raising him back up into the air and slamming him back down again.

Nu rushes to Hazama and slashes him with her swords across his stomach. She knows that he can finally feel all of the pain that they're dishing out to him, but she still has to be careful. She knows the kind of trickery that Hazama uses. This fight is finally looking more even, but now she and Ragna have to be more careful than ever. She doesn't want to die due to carelessness.

Hazama jumps to his feet and slams down on Nu's head, sending her to the ground. He stands over of her, and before she can get up starts to stomp on her head. He repeats the stomps over and over and over and over again until he's satisfied, deciding to grind his foot on it. He crouches down and smirks at Nu. "Not even worth my time."

He uses his foot to flip her over and kicks her right into Ragna, who was rushing over to help Nu get out of Hazama's vicious kicks. Ragna catches Nu and sets her down on the ground.

"Wait, shit... I can use my Grimoire now!" Ragna announces, realizing that since he's been able to stay in his powered up state he has to be able to use his Grimoire's powers now. "Take this Terumi! Carnage..."

Ragna charges at Hazama, propelling himself forward with his blade. Hazama tries to block the attack this time, but the sword knocks one of his knives right out of his hands. "Scissors!"

An explosion of red energy attacks Hazama, sending him flying into the air.

"Hahahaha! NOW THIS IS FUN! WE'RE HAVING A GOOD TIME, NOW!" Hazama screams as he lands on the floor. "Kill me! Kill me kill me kill me _kill me_!"

"What the hell is wrong with you!?" Ragna asks as he stabs Hazama with his sword. The suited man coughs up blood, splattering it on Ragna's face and the bottom of Bloodscythe, and then smiles.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" he says ominously. Ragna pulls Bloodscythe out of him and puts it back. Hazama falls to the floor, still coughing up blood. He looks up at Ragna, who's starting to walk away. "C'mon now, what the hell is that!? You're just gonna... ugh! You're just gonna walk away when you have the perfect chance to take my life!?"

"I'm not gonna waste the energy on degenerate scum like you, bastard," Ragna says. "Besides, that lifelink is going to make killing you a bitch. I'm not done with you yet, so just lay there and suffer, okay? C'mon, Nu, let's go find Noel."

"Ah, I get it! Hurgh... You're just... chicken!" Hazama turns around so he can look up into the sky. No one can see it, but the man has a smirk on his face.

Ragna walks down into the Librarium. However, Nu stays. She walks to Hazama's motionless body.

"You're fucking smiling. Why are you fucking smiling you piece of shit?" Nu asks.

"Someone's a little..." Hazama coughs. "Hostile... You sad that I just killed the you of this timeline again? You... shouldn't be!"

"I... when I first saw here I treated her like she was a cheap knockoff of me... I was nothing but cruel to her. But... she died for me! Wouldn't you see why I would be as mad as I am!?" Nu asks. "So I'm gonna do what Ragna's too weak to do."

"You're gonna kill me, then?" Hazama asks. He laughs. "Oh please, go ahead. I mean, I'd love to stop you if I could move, but that's not exactly possible now, is it?"

Nu hoists Hazama up from the ground and her swords all stab him in different locations. Hazama realizes just how she's going to go about killing him and laughs.

"Man, what a brutal way to die! Befitting of someone like me, right!?" Hazama asks. Nu stops and turns her full attention to Hazama. "Go ahead, don't stop. Do it. You're not weak like Ragna, right?"

"Even in death, you're still making jokes. Then die laughing, you clown," Nu says, beginning to make her swords pull on him.

"You don't know what you've done... Prime Field Device... Nu 13..." Hazama cackles as Nu's swords split him in two. The two pieces of his body fall at either side of Nu in a bloody heap as a rain of crimson falls down onto her face.

"I... actually killed him..." Nu says, turning to face the staircase downstairs. "It's over... this nightmare... is finally, finally over..."

* * *

Hakumen stands in the remains of the Sheol Gate with Jin and Tsubaki at his side. The three have been waiting for whatever it is that's supposed to come here for a long time. The only thing that they could pay attention to was the fight that was erupting upstairs. The sounds of battle and the countless screaming died down, so they were left in silence once more. They refused to speak with one another.

Until...

The gate that is positioned at the bottom begins to open, the same as it had done when the Nu that belonged to this timeline appeared out of it. Is something going to come out of this one? What is it that they are waiting for, exactly?

"Sankishin Susano'o Unit confirmed," a voice says. Hakumen, Tsubaki, and Jin turn around to see a girl wearing next to nothing with eight swords behind her and blonde hair walking up to them.

"So... it is you, Child of the Azure," Hakumen says.

"...Noel...?" Tsubaki takes a step forward.

"No, Tsubaki! Don't go near her! Right now that's not the Noel that you know. That is Kusanagi... Mu-12!" Hakumen warns.

"But...!" Tsubaki looks at Hakumen, and then back to Noel. She can't believe that she's seeing the girl like this. What happened to her? Who did this to her?

"Hakumen is right, Tsubaki. You should lay back and leave this to us," Jin says as a cross made out of ice appears in front of him. A blade is encased in it, and he grabs it out of the cross.

"I am the white void. I am the cold steel. I am the just sword. With blade in hand shall I reap the sins of this world and cleanse it in the fires of destruction! I am Hakumen! The end has come!" Hakumen cries out, drawing Ookami from its sheath.

'Never would I have thought the day would come where I team up with myself...' Hakumen thinks as Jin prepares himself for battle.

"Deploying petals," Mu says. Behind her two little spheres appear. They open up to reveal guns stationed inside of them. Hakumen smirks from underneath his helm.

"Jin Kisaragi, leave this to me," Hakumen says. As the guns fire little lasers at the two, Hakumen slashes them with his sword, making two red circles appear in front of them. Jin looks at them in awe. He had never seen something quite like this before. He supposes that it's a good thing that one of the Six Heroes is here.

"Noel! Please, wake up!" Tsubaki yells from the sidelines. "Please!"

"Tsubaki, it's no use! She can't hear you!" Jin says, looking back to the red haired girl.

Mu moves from the entrance of the gate to the other end and Hakumen jumps for the guns she summoned earlier. He slashes them with Ookami and they explode into pieces. He lands on the ground and turns around just in time to block an attack from Mu with his sword. Her swords move around his blade, but Hakumen grabs Mu before she can command them to do anything else and throws her away from him.

Jin calls up a wall of ice and catches her as she's flying away from the two and toward Tsubaki. He hears a surprised gasp from her as the ice wall shoots up in front of her, but she's safe otherwise. Jin decides to keep that ice wall up so that Tsubaki didn't get hurt during the current battle and rushes to Mu, Yukianesa ready to slash at her.

"Ineffective," Mu says as a prism-like object appears around her, shielding her from Yukianesa. The blade bounces off of it, surprising Jin. He didn't expect it to just reflect his sword like that!

"You damned bitch... you were a pain in the ass when you were Noel Vermillion, and you're still a pain in the ass now!" Jin yells, creating a bow made of ice with Yukianesa. Hakumen stands out of the way as he fires multiple arrows made out of ice at Mu. The girl starts slashing the arrows away, but a few make contact with her since there were more arrows than there were swords.

"Hey! Hakumen! We're here!" Hakumen turns around when he hears Ragna's voice. Alongside him he sees Rachel and Nu tagging along with him. How Rachel got here is beyond his understanding, but that doesn't matter right now. What matters is the battle at hand.

"Do not interfere. This battle is between us," Hakumen says as he slashes at Mu, only for his blade to be deflected by her own. He swipes his sword at her once more, but their blades clash again. Hakumen, instead of using his blade, kicks her in the stomach, taking her by surprise. Mu goes flying into the ice wall that Jin set up in front of Tsubaki once more, but bounces back like nothing had ever happened to her.

Jin steps in front of Hakumen and stabs Yukianesa into the ground, causing a pillar of ice to shoot up and hit Mu on her way to them. She is caught by surprise and is sent hurdling toward Jin, who makes his bow and arrow once again, firing more shots at her that, this time, she can't avoid. Eventually she is frozen by these arrows and falls to the floor helplessly.

Hakumen takes a step forward and pulls his blade back. "This is the end, Child of the Azure!"

Before his blade can connect with the ice sculpture that is Mu-12, the Murakumo Unit suddenly bursts out of her icy prison and dodges Hakumen's blade. "Sword of Decimation!"

The swords behind her form a much larger one and it swings itself at Hakumen. The armored man can only hold his arm up and form a red shield before it hits him. "Empty Sky Form: Winter's Riposte!"

Hakumen pauses for a second and slashes forward, going at a speed that even Mu couldn't have seen. She feels the sting of his sword cutting into her flesh, but disregards it. She has no time for pain.

"Damage..." Mu announces. Jin smirks as he realizes that they're beginning to push her to her limit, and the two may win this fight. However, his hopes are crushed when Mu's swords disappear and reappear in front of him. He puts up a shield of ice at the last second, but the sword breaks through it and only catches his arm.

"Dammit... you're just full of tricks aren't you, Noel Vermillion!? I'll end your misery right here! Reaping Blizzard!" Jin slashes his sword upward and a giant wave of ice starts to make its way to Mu. The Murakumo Unit jumps over it and starts moving her arms slowly and deliberately. Four guns come out from nowhere and start firing at Jin.

Hakumen leaps in front of them and slashes all of the lasers that were making their way to Jin, instantly destroying them. Jin sighs in relief and looks at Hakumen, a rare sign of respect.

"I have to thank you for that, Hakumen," Jin says. He stands at Hakumen's side once more and they continue their assault on Mu.

"Hakumen, don't you go dying on me now!" Nu yells from the sidelines. Ragna turns to her, staring at her in disbelief.

"What are we doing just standing here? We have to go and help them!" Ragna yells at her. Nu shakes her head at Ragna.

"Ragna, they said that they can handle it. Do you have such little faith in them that you think they can't do it without our help? That's pretty rude of you," Nu says. "I don't know about your Jin, but my Jin can handle much worse than this!"

Mu grabs Hakumen as he tries to slash at her and raises him into the air, much like Nu. The sword make their way to stab Hakumen repeatedly, but Jin throws a sword made out of ice at Mu. The sword change their priority and slash at the sword, breaking it apart before it can make it to her. Hakumen takes the time to spin around in Mu's grasp and kick her into the air. He takes the time that she has in the air to land and catch his bearings, and prepares himself for more when she comes down.

"Deploying more petals. Switching current threat level to SS," Mu says, throwing more guns out for the two. This time they're all in different locations. Mu is making sure that Hakumen can't use Ookami to destroy the lasers that they summon.

"Stand by me, Hakumen!" Jin yells, throwing up a sphere of ice around them to protect from the lasers. He hears them fire and starts to focus on maintaining the ice. He knows that they can easily melt through the ice wall, but if he puts all of his focus into it, he can keep it up and the lasers won't touch them.

Hakumen sees part of the ice wall start to turn into water and taps Jin's shoulder to alert him that they were breaking through anyway, moving to the edge of the sphere to avoid some of the lasers. Jin lets out a cry of pain as one of them catches his shoulder. It burns!

The ice wall that surrounded by dissipates and Hakumen moves out from the area quickly, looking around to find where Mu is. He feels her swords graze his back and he turns around to see her right there in front of him, flipping herself over. Her legs connect with his own and he falls to the ground on his knees. Mu looks at him for a moment before preparing her swords to pierce right through the Susano'o Unit.

"Dammit!" Hakumen swears. He moves out of the way just in time to avoid getting gutted by Mu's blades and counterattacks by hopping up and spinning around, crying out "Tsubaki!"

Tsubaki, from the sidelines, watches as Hakumen's technique in awe. Though the situation looked terribly bad, she can't help but marvel at both Jin and Hakumen's nerves of steel. She even got to hear Hakumen's speech, too!

Jin slashes at Mu this time, hoping to at least get one scratch on her. Most of the damage has been from Hakumen this battle, and the two of them are feeling their fair share of pain. Mu blocks Jin's sword and grabs his arm, yanking him closer to her. She thrusts her hands out, piercing him with the blades attached to them. Jin yells as she rips them out of his body, kicking him away from her and into the same ice wall that he created. Jin laughs at the irony of the situation for a quick second and jumps back into the fray.

He slashes at Mu once more, only to have it once again blocked by her swords. This time, she kicks him in his ribcage, watching as he falls to the ground after feeling the blade on her legs cut him. Hakumen jumps in to save Jin from Mu's next attack, but Jin calls up a wall of ice to protect both him and make it known to Hakumen that he was going to be fighting this for now, and that Hakumen should get out of the way. As the ice wall sinks into the ground, he looks into Jin's eyes. It looks like they're pleading with him to let him fight more.

Hakumen understands this gesture and backs away, still holding Ookami in case something terrible happens and he needs to intervene.

Jin struggles to his feet to meet Mu, and this time kicks at her. Mu deflects the blow with her own leg and throws a fist at Jin, aimed in a way to that the blade attached to her hand cuts into him. Jin ducks underneath of the blade and stabs Mu in the stomach with the hilt of his blade. She is surprised by the sudden strike and Jin takes full advantage of this. He slashes her up with no distinct patter in his slashes. Afterwards, he slashes seemingly through her, much like Hakumen's Winter's Riposte. She is frozen by this attack, and when Jin sheathes his sword the ice around her breaks.

"Why do you still stand?" Mu asks as she gets back up on her feet.

"So I can wipe monsters like you from this world," Jin replies, slashing at Mu once more. The Murakumo Unit commands her swords to move in front of Jin and block his blade, stopping it dangerously close from piercing her chest. She looks at the guns that have been placed and jumps back from Jin, bending over. A blue laser appears on her back and is fired from it, toward one of the guns.

"Hah! What are you doing, you stupid puppet!?" Jin asks, running up to Mu and slashing her once more across the stomach. The Murakumo Unit bends over in pain at this, but is watching the laser that is moving from gun to gun behind Jin. He notices that she wasn't paying any real attention to him and looks where she is looking, only to see the blue laser that she fired aimed right for his shoulder. He moves out of the way as fast as he can and it only catches his arm, running down it and burning him. He yelps out in pain as he habitually grabs his new wound.

"JIN!" Tsubaki yells, running forward to the wall of ice. She can't stand watching this fight anymore. Jin is going to die if it keeps up! She has to save him! "Get out of my way!"

She takes the blade of the Izayoi and slashes the ice wall with it, cutting it down and shattering it to pieces. Jin looks at Tsubaki as she runs toward him. Mu stands on top of Jin's back, preventing him from moving. All he can do is watch as Tsubaki runs to him.

"Noel, please wake up from this! This is your friend Jin you're doing this to!" Tsubaki yells.

"I am... I am... Kusanagi," Mu responds, looking back to Jin. She raises her foot off of the ground and prepares to decapitate the man with the blade attached to her leg. Tsubaki, just in time, pushes Mu off of Jin. The man looks up at Tsubaki, surprised that she put herself in danger to save him.

"Tsubaki... why did you save me...?" Jin asks. Tsubaki looks down at Jin and smiles at him warmly.

"I don't want to see you die in front of me, Jin..." Tsubaki says. "Now stand up. We can fight together."

"...Tsubaki, no!" Jin yells. Tsubaki looks at Mu and her eyes widen. Mu's swords are flying straight at Tsubaki, and she has no time to move out of the way.

"Tsubaki!" Hakumen yells, running to the girl. He watches as Jin gets up from the ground quickly and pushes Tsubaki aside.

Hakumen freezes.

Just about everyone in the room freezes.

"Guh... Tsubaki... Are you... alright...?" Jin chokes out. All eight swords are lodged inside of his chest.

Tsubaki stares at the sight before her in shock. She lies down on the floor, unable to move. Then, she screams his name. Her scream is ear splitting compared to all of the other screams that Hakumen or Nu or even Ragna have heard in their lives. Her scream is filled with pain, frustration, anger... all of those emotions at the same time.

Tears start to form from her eyes as she crawls over to Jin, who falls on the floor beside her. The swords disappear from his body, and Mu only stares at the scene before her. It looks like she is pained to continue on.

No one can move, though. They're all in shock.

"Jin! Jin, why!?" Tsubaki asks, picking Jin's head up from the ground and resting it on her lap. Jin looks up at Tsubaki and smiles.

"I... wanted to save you... Tsubaki..." Jin manages to say. He closes his eyes and looks up to the ceiling, opening his eyes to see everyone by his side. "I always imagined that this was how it was... going to end... A man who lives on the battlefield... dies on the battlefield. Tsubaki... Do you remember what you said...? About wanting to be by my side? The same... goes for me..."

"Jin... why the hell did you have to go and do that!?" Ragna yells.

"Brother... Brother... it's you..." Jin smiles. It isn't the sadistic smile that is usually on his face when he calls his name. It's one of true happiness. "Brother... I'm so glad to see you..."

"Jin, don't talk... Save your strength..." Tsubaki says. "Please, don't talk like you're dying! You're not going to die, Jin! You're not!"

"...Tsubaki... if there was one thing that I always wanted to tell you..." Jin reaches his hand up to Tsubaki's tear-ridden face and cups it gently with his hand. "I..."

He doesn't finish.

No longer finding the strength to keep his eyes open, Jin's arm falls to his side and he shuts his eyes.

"Nu... and... and... Jin, now, too!?" Ragna gets up from the ground and points at Mu. At Noel.

"THAT WAS MY BROTHER YOU BITCH!" he roars as he charges at Mu. Hakumen grabs Ragna before he can attack Mu, bringing him back down to the ground.

"Dark One... I do not need to see you die, either," Hakumen says. Ragna remembers that Hakumen is his brother underneath of that armor and realizes how painful it must be for Hakumen to see himself die right before his eyes.

"Jin Kisaragi..." Hakumen begins. "He was a noble man. A man of honor. He walked the path he chose without hesitation, and he fought for what he thought was right. He... in the end... he died protecting those he cared for. He may not have shown it... but he deeply cared for you, Tsubaki, Ragna..."

"Why are you speaking like you know him...?" Tsubaki asks.

"A tale for another time," Hakumen says, unable to look the woman in the eye. "Jin Kisaragi... in the end... you were truly... a respectable man."

"I always knew Jin cared about me. I guess... I guess he just did it in his own way..." Ragna says. "But... I never imagined that he would die in front of me like this..."

"Ragna... he's... your brother...?" Tsubaki asks. There is no doubt in Ragna's mind that she heard Jin call him brother.

"Yes. Jin's my little brother..." Ragna nods slowly.

"...I see..." Tsubaki says.

"Commencing attack," Mu says. Hakumen spins around on his feet and punches Mu away from everyone.

"Stay back, you fiend!" Hakumen screams.

"Phew... man, what a touching scene. If I actually gave a shit I'd have been crying."

Slowly, Nu and Ragna look up to see a man wearing a black suit standing in front of them, looking down at Jin Kisaragi. His green hair is kept underneath of a fedora. He holds it so that it covers his eye.

"Terumi! How the hell are you still alive!?" Nu yells.

"Aww! What's with the glares!? I was hoping that you would all be so happy to see me! You guys are mean," Hazama says in a fake hurt tone. "Aaanyway, breaking news! I just took away all of Takamagahara's power!"

"Impossible! If you have, then why are you here!?" Hakumen asks.

"Well, I have to admit, the credit for this one goes all to Rags and Nu-nu!" Hazama starts clapping. "And you wanna know what your reward is? DEATH, HANDED TO YOU ON A SILVER PLATTER!"

Hazama throws one of his Ouroboros chains at Ragna, but Hakumen pushes him out of the way. The chains continue on their path, heading for Mu. Hazama's taken by surprise and tries to call back his chains, but it's too late.

"Well, shit," Hazama says as the chains bite into Mu's body. "Oh god... this doesn't look too good. Hey, Kusanagi! Ignore that! Friendly fire, I swear!"

"New target added," Mu says.

"Oh, you little bitch. Come on, you stupid doll, I'm the guy who friggin' made you! Show some goddamn respect!" Hazama yells.

"...I am... I AM!" Mu yells, breaking the chains that ensnared her. "I HATE YOU. I HATE YOU. HATE HATE HATE HATE HATEHATEHATEHATEHATE!"

"What the hell is going on with her!?" Nu yells. "Terumi, what did you do!?"

"It wasn't what _I_ did, you retard! It's her already fragile mind going mentally insane!" Hazama snaps. "Wait, this could work out in my favor! Kusanagi, these guys are the guys you should be-"

He narrowly dodges an attack from Mu aimed directly at his head and sighs as he backs away from her slowly. "You know... nothing can go right, can it? Alright, you wanna play with me, you little bitch? That's fine. But be warned... I play a little rough! Restriction 666 released! Dimensional interference field deployed! Code S.O.L., activate BlazBlue!"

Hazama turns to the others behind him and smirks. "Hey, Jin, we're all in this together, right? I just joined in the fight with my little dolly. You see, she's just becoming such a _miserable pile of garbage_ that I have to teach her a lesson... possibly even put her down if she keeps misbehaving. So why not work together? C'mon, for old time's sake?"

"You think I would put my trust into you, Terumi? What's stopping me from believing that you're going to betray us in the end, just like last time?" Hakumen asks.

"Did he just call you Jin, Hakumen...?" Tsubaki asks. "I... I don't understand what's going on here! What's wrong with Noel, why is Ragna the Bloodedge working with one of the Six Heroes!? Why are you here, Captain Hazama, and what are they talking about!? Why did Jin have to die!?"

"Oh, you're telling me you don't know? Well, alright then, First Lieutenant Tsubaki Yayoi... lemme tell ya a story!" Hazama begins.

"I suggest you stop speaking lest I sever your head from your body," Hakumen says. "Besides... do we not have a... common enemy?"

"Ah, yes, Kusanagi, that's right," Hazama turns around. "You must excuse me, Hakumen. Oh, and Tsubaki? I think it'd be a really good thing if you just activated your Izayoi right now. Y'know, safety measures."

Then, he turns his full attention to Mu. "Alright you bitch... it's time for daddy to give out his punishment! Naught girls do need to get spanked after all."

Hakumen stands by Hazama's side in complete disbelief that he would be fighting alongside the man once more.

"It's been a long time since we've done this, huh? Bout 100 years, right? Man, this sure brings back some memories! Feeling nostalgic yet, bud?" Hazama asks.

"Shut up, Terumi. After we defeat Kusanagi I will turn my blade to you. None of you interfere with this," Hakumen says.

"Yeah. Me and good ol' Haku here are _more_ than enough to kick this bitch's shit in," Hazama says.

"Let's go!" Hakumen and Hazama shout at the same time.


	11. Chapter 10

Tsubaki stares at Hakumen and Hazama as they prepare to fight against Mu. This entire situation up from meeting Hakumen himself- _the_ Hakumen- to Jin's death has been so surreal to her. This could never happen to her. This has to be a dream of some sort. Just one, sick twisted dream. The girl that they keep calling Kusanagi, Mu... that's not her real name! Her real name is Noel Vermillion! How could she have just killed Jin like that!?

It makes Tsubaki's blood boil. To watch Jin die in front of her, to watch him die in her arms... Nothing in this world makes sense to her anymore. Everything that's happened today is just too much for her to take in. She doesn't think that she can handle this anymore.

She wants to just curl up into a ball and cry. Cry, cry, cry her eyes out. She wants to wake up from this nightmare, sleeping in her bed at the academy, where everything is okay and happy. But deep down in her heart she knows: this is not a dream. This is reality.

"Ooh, you little bitch! That one actually hurt me!" Hazama yells as he throws more chains at Mu. Kusanagi easily deflects them with her swords and fires more guns at the two of them. Hakumen slashes them open before they can even fire at them, charging at Mu with new-found strength.

"You devil made of flesh and steel... I shall sever your head and end this!" Hakumen yells, slashing her body upwards. Mu doesn't look like she feels any pain from the attack and grabs Hakumen, throwing him away from her. Hazama uses one of his chains to catch him and sets him down on the ground next to him.

"I think that charging in like that ain't gonna cut it, good ol' Haku," Hazama warns with a smirk on his face.

"Ever the joker..." Hakumen shakes his head and points his sword at Mu once more. The blonde menace's blades start pointing themselves at Hakumen, stopping there to wait for his next move.

"Well, that's my schtick, you see..." Hazama laughs, throwing more chains at Mu.

"Are you just going to throw chains like that and not even try to help out, asshole!?" Nu yells from the sidelines. "C'mon, where's that shit that you were doing to me up there at that altar!?"

Hazama turns his head to her and glares. "I need to get closer to her for me to be able to even start ripping her a new one, and the only safe way to get close to her is to bring her over here. It's not my fault that stupid doll decides she wants to avoid all of my attacks!"

Hakumen pushes Hazama aside as a gun fires at him, saving him from having a hole in his body. Hazama tips his fedora at Hakumen and, watching as Mu touches the ground, throws a hand up into the air. A green circle wraps itself around Mu and Hazama throws two chains at her. He yanks on them and they start to pull her in as Hazama prepares his knives. Once Mu reaches him he starts to slash her all over the place. Instead of sending her flying away with his snake spirits, Hazama kicks her down to the ground.

"Finally I've got my hands on you! Or... should I say... foot?" Hazama taunts as he starts to stomp on Mu's head. "Now then... on to business, Noel Vermillion!"

Finally, as Hazama stomps on her, grunts of pain can be heard from Mu. Hazama pauses for a minute to savor the sound of her torment and she turns around, prepared to counter attack. As soon as her head lifts off of the ground, Hazama stomps back onto it, slamming it into the floor.

"Who said I'm done, huh!?" he asks. "Dance! Weep! Suffer! Let me hear you sing you little bitch! This party's just getting started!"

Hazama continues to stomp on Mu until he sees one of her swords raise from the ground out of the corner of his eye. He jumps back just in time to avoid getting hit by the sword and pierced through the heart. Making sure that his fedora is still on, Hazama chuckles at Mu as she stands up.

"Man, you think that you can still beat me even when you're in my territory now? You might be good at long ranged fighting, but from what I've seen Haku do to you at a close range, you're next to worthless!" Hazama exclaims. "You're just about as dumb as Noel! I thought becoming Kusanagi would have at least made you at least a little smarter. But that's okay."

Instead of attacking him, like Hazama planned for, Mu dashes right over to an unsuspecting Hakumen.

"Eliminating Sankishin Susano'o Unit," Mu says, attacking Hakumen with a barrage of attacks. He starts dodging them, countering some of them with Ookami, and retaliates by swinging the long sword at Mu's head. The girl ducks underneath of the swipe and kicks him in the chest, knocking him off balance. He never expected her to be able to kick so hard.

As Hakumen falls to the floor Mu's swords begin to slash at him.

"You think your puny sword can break though the Susano'o Unit!?" Hakumen laughs at Mu's efforts to hurt him. He can't even feel the blades hurting him. Hakumen, ignoring the attempts at slashing him, springs to his feet and grabs Mu by the face, slamming her into the ground. He raises his sword and prepares to stab her while she's down, but she rolls over just before Hakumen's sword pierces her. Hakumen pulls the sword out of the ground and turns to see Mu placing more guns.

"You honestly think that you can affect me with those guns?" Hakumen asks, slashing them open as they're placed near him.

"Switching combat strategy," Mu announces, dashing away from Hakumen.

"Oh no you don't, Kusanagi!" Hazama yells, wrapping her up in his chains and pulling himself toward her. "This is gonna be fun!"

As wraps the chains around himself as well and launches himself toward Mu, pulling out his butterfly knives along the way. He slashes her across the stomach, and as he passes above her yanks the chains once again. She launches toward him this time, and Hazama slashes her across the back in an X shape as she flies toward him. He finishes by flipping himself in the air and slamming his foot down onto her as it gets covered in dark green.

Mu bounces off of the floor as she makes contact with it and Hakumen takes full advantage of her immobility. Raising his sword above her once more, he slams it down on her. He expects her to cry out in pain, but sees that her swords formed a shield, one of Nu's tactics.

"You damned demon!" Hakumen kicks Mu off of the ground and into the air, turning his head to Hazama. The man nods and fires a chain straight up into the air to catch Mu as she flies through it. Mu gasps as the chain wraps around her and she feels herself getting pulled yet again. The chain slams her into the wall and Hazama smirks at his own handiwork.

"I'm pretty good, huh?" he asks himself. He patiently waits for Mu to come back with his hands in his pockets, knowing that it won't be the end of her yet. Or, he hopes. "Man, if you're done after that you really were a waste of my time!"

The entire area is silent, and suspense fills the air. When is Mu going to emerge from the wall that Hazama just made with her body? Hakumen puts his sword down and laughs at the hole.

And then, in that moment, a laser beam shoots through the hole, treading along the ground. The red line is in Hakumen's path, and the armored man tries to get out of the way.

"Eliminating," Mu's voice calls. The ground that was shot at with the laser beam suddenly erupts violently, catching Hakumen in the explosion.

He screams in pain as he feels himself getting picked up off the ground and flung to a wall.

"No! The Susano'o Unit can't take much more of- Arrrgh!" Hakumen yells.

He skids on the ground as he comes to a halt just before his head hits the wall behind him.

Everything goes dead silent, until...

"No!" Nu screams. Before she gets a chance to move, Ragna grabs her by the shoulder and pulls her back.

"Nu, don't go... I'm sure that he's alright... I don't want you to die, either," Ragna says, sorrow laden in his eyes. Nu looks back at him with her own.

"Ragna, did you even see what he just got hit with!? I have to go and save him, or else he could die!" Nu yells. "I'm going!"

"No, you're not!" Ragna yells back. Nu freezes at Ragna's raising voice. "I'm not letting another person die today!"

"But..." Nu begins. She doesn't finish and turns back to Hazama, who's staring at the space where Hakumen lies, motionless.

"So I guess it's just me and you now! Eh, Kusanagi?" Hazama asks, a twisted smile on his face. He takes out one of his knives and hangs his arm low as he runs to Mu. The girl tries to hit him with one of her blades but he bobs and weaves through every single one of her swords without fail, not even a scratch on him. He limply throws his arm upward, cutting Mu up her arm. He spins on his heel and another knife cuts her across the same arm.

"This is where the real fun starts, dolly! I hope you're ready!" Hazama yells. "Now then... make sure you do your part, and scream for me!"

Hazama blocks a punch from Mu and delivers one of his own. Mu bends into his fist from the sheer force packed behind it. Hazama raises both of his fits into the air and slams it down on Mu's head, sending it down into his right knee. Her head bounces off of it and Hazama's foot glows green. He flips himself over as he kicks her into the air and then throws some chains at her. They wrap around her without fail and he pulls her back down to the ground.

"Miss me, honey?" he asks as he creates a large knife made out of green energy. He slashes her with the knife and stabs her in the stomach with it, holding her up into the air. Two snakes curl around her and bite into her shoulders. Hazama then sends multiple waves of energy into the snakes and that energy finds its way into Mu. Watching the attack from afar, Nu concludes that it has to hurt. A lot.

The snakes retract and kicks Mu far away from him, but then throws more chains at her to catch her out of the air. He pulls her toward him and then starts slashing rapidly, making sure to cut her in all the places he hasn't done before. He doesn't understand how Mu can still stand after all of this and act like nothing has happened, but then again, it is Kusanagi after all. It should be a major pain in the ass to kill.

And the Lifelink he has with her probably isn't helping much, either. But, oh well, he doesn't want to kill her anyway. Only, take her out of commission. Afterwards he can take her and run and then make some adjustments to her and send her after Amaterasu again.

Taking Hazama by surprise, Mu manages to have one of her swords slash his arm down vertically. Hazama grips his newly opened wound, glaring at Mu. She then grabs him by the neck and raises him into the air, the swords forming a circle around his head.

"Oh, do you really think that is gonna kill me?" Hazama asks, a confident smirk on his face.

"Die," is Mu's only response.

Mu is thrown off balance by something hitting her back, dropping Hazama onto the ground. He quickly stands back up and grabs her himself, holding her down to the ground with his hand on her neck and a foot on her arm.

"I am the white void. I am the cold steel. I am the just sword."

"H-Hakumen!?" Nu looks up and smiles brightly. Who is in front of her is definitely not Hakumen. However, the man standing before her is more than a welcome sight.

"With blade in hand shall I reap the sins of this world and cleanse it in the fires of destruction."

Tsubaki looks at the man and gasps. She looks back down to the ground to see Jin's dead body still there, on the ground. As she looks back to the man she sees, she realizes what Hazama was talking about some time ago.

"I am Hakumen. No... I am Jin Kisaragi! The end has come!"

"I see... you clever little bitch..." Hazama smirks at Hakumen as he takes a look back to the Susano'o Unit. "So the Susano'o Unit shattered, eh? Well isn't that a crying shame. I guess you were pushing it way too far, Jin. I would know. You of all people know why. But it's time to finish this! No more bullshit! On the count of three, Jin! One... two..."

Hazama holds Mu into the air and Hakumen approaches the Murakumo Unit.

"Empty Sky True Form!"

"Three!" as Hazama cries the number out, he throws Mu at Hakumen. The man slashes Ookami forward as it picks up a dark, red coloration. Mu feels an incredible pain as she is slashed with the blade, unable to defend herself.

"Judgement of the Sword!"

As Mu flies away from Hakumen's blade, the armor that she is in disappears, replaced with a cloak that is similar to Nu's. Her eyes are closed as she hits the floor, and Hakumen walks back to the shattered Susano'o Unit, picking up the sheath to Ookami and putting the blade back in. He puts it back down at the shattered armor and turns away from it.

The battle is finally, finally over.

Everyone begins to cheer and clap for the two combatants that worked together to defeat seemingly impossible odds.

Even Hazama joins with them.

"Aren't you gonna take it with you Hakumen?" Nu asks, referring to the broken Susano'o Unit. Hakumen laughs at Nu and shakes his head.

"No, Nu. And please. I'm fairly certain that the cat is out of the bag now," Hakumen says.

"How long were you planning on hiding it, Jin?" Ragna asks the man. He's fairly certain that this Jin is about as old as him.

"I would have gladly hid it forever," Hakumen replies. "Hakumen was the name I took up to cleanse myself of the sins that I had committed when I was Jin Kisaragi myself. It was... my way of running away from everything that I had done back then. Every inexcusable crime I had committed. I had no hope in Jin Kisaragi when I saw him in this timeline. I thought that he was stubborn, and lacked compassion. But from what I have seen today, I know that is not the case. He gave his life to protect someone dear to him, and for that, he has my utmost respect."

"What are you going to do about the Susano'o Unit, then? It _does_ repair itself, you know," Hazama asks.

"How do you know so much about it?" Ragna asks.

"Why, I wore it for a time, Raggy!" Hazama announces, surprising everyone in the room except for Hakumen. He already knew that secret a long time ago.

"You wore the Susano'o Unit!?" Nu asks.

"Yeah, but I soon realized that I was just going to be a lapdog for Amaterasu, so I ditched it," Hazama says. He turns to where Mu is sleeping peacefully. It seems as though she has calmed down. "Dammit all to hell..."

"What, disappointed that your plan didn't go as expected, asshole?" Ragna asks, grabbing Bloodscythe.

"You know Raggy I can't say that I'm not!" Hazama exclaims. "But do you really wanna start a fight with me now? I mean, look at yourself. I screwed you up pretty bad there, you know."

"I can still fight scum like you!" Ragna retorts.

Hakumen stops paying attention to the two and turns to Nu and Tsubaki. Nu jumps onto the man, hugging him tightly. "You're back! You're back you're back you're back! I thought that you were dead, Jin! Don't you ever scare me like that again!"

"Hah... do not worry, Nu," Hakumen says. His eyes wander to Tsubaki, who stares at him in pure confusion. He lets go of Nu and she steps aside so the two can talk.

"...Tsubaki," he nods at her.

"...I want an explanation," she says with an authoritative tone.

"Yes, I too demand an explanation. Why does the Kusanagi lie there motionless?"

"Terumi... what excuse do you have now?"

Hazama freezes at the two all too familiar voices. He turns slowly to see a man wearing a mask with a pink cape standing next to a woman in a robe with very, very long purple hair and red, gleaming eyes.

Everyone else turns to them as well.

"You, demanding an explanation from me, Relius? Don't make me laugh, you're not the boss of me! Didn't you see Kusanagi go friggin' insane back there!? I had to stop her!" Hazama yells.

"The Imperator Librarius..." Tsubaki murmurs, turning her attention to the girl with purple hair.

"...No... fucking... way..." Ragna nearly drops his blade. Hakumen is left speechless by the sight of the girl.

"SAYA!?" the two yell.

The girl looks exactly like their younger sister Saya. Even more than Nu or Noel does. Hakumen is certain of it. This girl is Saya. But why and how is Saya in that position?

Behind the Imperator, an empty cloak appears and floats aimlessly at Relius's side, surprising Hakumen once more.

"No, that can't be!"

"Terumi... so you have betrayed us by defeating the Kusanagi. I cannot say that I was not expecting this. How many times have you betrayed others? Will this time be no different?" the Imperator asks. "It matters not. Takamagahara sits in the palm of my hand. You were a useful tool, Terumi. However, your usefulness has been outlived. We depart, Relius."

"What!?" Hazama yells. "Use me!? ME!? Do you forget who saddled you up on that high horse, you grubby bitch!?"

Before Hazama can yell at her even more, the three disappear out of the same thin air that they appeared out of.

"That is _the_ last straw! That's it!" Hazama yells.

"Terumi... you're gonna explain everything," Ragna says. "That girl just now... that was Saya, wasn't it?"

"...What, you can't figure it out on your own?" Hazama asks. Ragna can tell that the happiness in Hazama's mood has died down and is nothing more than seething rage at the moment. "Yeah, that's your goddamn brat of a sister. Well, if that's all, I'm heading out now. I've got things that I want to do."

"Where are you going, Terumi?" Hakumen asks.

"I... don't know," Hazama says. "To be honest, this was not how things were supposed to play out. Kusanagi should have gone to kick the shit out of Amaterasu and that would have been the end of it. I really didn't plan anything further. Oh, and before you ask, you should probably take the Susano'o Unit with you. I get that you're the prideful type, but it repairs itself automatically and it would really be helpful if you were to put it on you when it's fixed up. Listen, Kisaragi. I know you. I know exactly what you are going to try and do. My reaction is: go ahead! Teach her a lesson!"

"Terumi... as much as it induces me to vomit to say this, I do believe that we may need your help," Rachel says.

"Me? Help you? You know how you said that asking me for help makes you wanna hurl? Same goes for me, shitty vampire," Hazama replies. "You think _I_ would help _you_? Get outta here."

"Terumi... that purple cloak... was Nine, was it not?" Hakumen asks.

All he gets is a slow head nod from Hazama.

"Jin... Hakumen..." Tsubaki begins. She walks up to the man and nearly collapses onto her knees, gripping him tightly as she cries into his chest. "Please... I'm so lost... I don't know what's what anymore... Please..."

"Tsubaki..." Hakumen says, putting a hand on the back of her head. He looks down and smiles warmly at her. Nu rolls her eyes and sneers at the girl.

"What's the matter, Nu?" Ragna asks, turning to her. She snaps out of her trance and looks at Ragna, smiling sheepishly.

"No, nothing's wrong!" she says. Then she turns back to Tsubaki and glares at her some more.

'If this keeps up, then she'll steal Jin away from me in no time...' Nu laments. 'He's _mine_ Tsubaki... not yours... mine.'

"Tsubaki... where do I begin?" Hakumen asks. "...Very well, I'll start with this. I'm sorry that I have to bore you with another tale. I can tell it to you on the road. Nu, we're leaving, and Terumi, you are coming along with us."

"Wh-what!?" Hazama is surprised at his sudden command.

"I will not allow myself to leave you out of my sight," Hakumen says, walking with Tsubaki and Nu to the door. He stops and turns to Rachel. "You are weak, Rachel Alucard. I define the world how I see fit. That will not change."

Nu happily skips up to Hakumen's side and takes his arm, wrapping hers around it. She looks at Tsubaki, who is walking at his other side and sends a hateful glare her way. Tsubaki can't help but notice it.

"Hey, wait up guys! You're forgetting me!" Hazama yells, running back to collect the pieces of the Susano'o Unit, thanking whatever god would answer him that it wasn't little tiny pieces that he had to pick up. He catches up to them and continues to walk with them.

"So you actually are coming?" Hakumen asks, stopping abruptly. Hazama nearly bumps into him.

"...You know, I really do have nothing else to do, do I? Now I know what it feels like to get thrown out like yesterday's trash. It's a shitty feeling, I tell ya. If the Imperator thinks that I betrayed her, then I'm really gonna betray her hard!" Hazama says. "You mark my words you prim and proper bitch... while you're having your shitty tea parties with that asshole Relius, I'm gonna come for you and kick your ass so hard you'll cry..."

* * *

"How long will it take, Terumi?" Hakumen asks. The four stand on a grassy hill, far away from Kagutsuchi. Hakumen didn't stick around to see what Ragna, Rachel, and Noel would do. Honestly, he didn't care.

"What?" Hazama asks. He looks down to what is on the floor and then smirks. "Oh, that. I'd say it would take you about a month or two for that to fully bring itself back together. So, you'd better get used to holding that sword."

"...Until then, I am no longer Hakumen," Hakumen says. "I am Jin Kisaragi."

"Whatever you say, man," Hazama shakes his head. "Hey, didja notice something strange with the world's best dolly and Lieutenant Garbage?"

"Do not refer to them in such a manor, Terumi," Jin says.

"Old habits die hard," Hazama shrugs. "Hey, turning over a new leaf like this may take a while, okay? Cut me some slack here. I'm only just starting."

"I have been noticing that Nu has been acting strangely around me. It started since I defeated her at the Librarium. She was happy to hear that I trusted her enough to be able to split up, but when I said we should split up once more she got extremely annoyed. And I cannot disregard the hateful glares she is shooting Tsubaki," Jin nods slowly.

"What about me?" Tsubaki asks. Jin looks up from his seat on the ground to see Tsubaki standing over him, blocking out the sun.

"Nothing, Tsubaki. I do have to warn you, however, to be careful around Nu. You see, though she seems like it she's not in the greatest of mental conditions," Jin warns.

"Oh, I know already. She doesn't like me too much," Tsubaki says.

"I would not know why, when you have such a likable personality," Jin smiles at her. Tsubaki blushes and ties to pull her cap over her face, but it winds up falling off of her head instead.

"Jin... can you tell me what you were going to tell me before?" Tsubaki asks, sitting down next to him. Hazama makes a gagging sound and stands up.

"Man, you two are going to make me puke. I'm gonna go over there and talk to Nu-nu, possibly deposit my lunch and dinner on the ground too," Hazama says, pointing to the other girl a few feet away from them.

"Tsubaki... Allow me to start off with this: Noel Vermillion, in my time, did not exist. You were my secretary, and I was Major Jin Kisaragi, the Hero of Ikaruga. Nothing more, nothing less," Jin says.

"Captain Hazama told me a story similar to that... where I was living a happy life with you as your secretary," Tsubaki says. "So what he was telling me was true?"

"Yes, of course. The man likes to know as much as he can about people and then he sinks his fangs into them. He plays with everyone's emotions," Jin says.

"You know, I _can_ hear you," Hazama says from where he's standing with Nu.

Jin ignores Hazama and turns his attention to Tsubaki once more. "So then I would assume that you know up to the point where... 'something happened'. Tsubaki, do you remember the story that I told you before? The one about the woman by my side?"

"...Yes, of course," Tsubaki nods her head.

Jin doesn't know how he should go about wording what he is about to say. He was never the one for tact. However, Tsubaki must know that by now. "...To put it frankly, you were that woman."

Tsubaki looks completely stunned, her eyes widening as she stares at him. It's a mixture of happiness that she was the secretary of the mighty Hakumen, and the surprise that she had died. "Jin... I'm not sure that I follow you..."

"Don't you recall the story that I told you?" Hazama asks, walking up to the both of them with Nu following closely behind. He takes a seat next to Tsubaki and Nu sits next to Jin, resting her head on his shoulder. "I told you, remember? Well, this Jin and this Nu come from that world."

"Yes..." Jin nods. "Nu and I are both from that 'world'. The Tsubaki that I am speaking of comes from that world as well."

"I see... so you're actually from another world, Jin?" Tsubaki asks. "This is... this is very, very strange..."

"I understand that this is hard to wrap your head around, Miss Yayoi, but please, do try and take in this information. It's actually kinda important," Hazama says, adjusting his fedora.

"How about we move on to something that I'm sure the two of us wanna know?" Nu asks, turning to Hazama. "I understand that it was your Lifelink with Noel that brought you back, but... it seemed like you wanted me to kill you up there at the Altar. Why was that?"

"It was because I could take control of Takamagahara then. I had done so, and now because of it the Imperator has control over it. That adds to our troubles already, considering she also has the Phantom. I'm sure that I won't be able to call her down for myself anymore," Hazama explains.

"Okay, moving on, then. You've been with the Imperator and Relius for a long time, right? What are their plans?" Nu asks.

"Well, their plans are the same as mine. We were all acting as one, for one cause and one cause only. To kill the Master Unit Amaterasu," Hazama says. "Really, that's all there is to it."

"How do you go about defeating the Imperator Librarius?" Jin asks.

"You... want to go against the Imperator!?" Tsubaki asks in disbelief.

"Tsubaki, you saw what was happening there. The Imperator is doing some really bad stuff," Nu says. "The NOL is a corrupted organization. We have to take it down, okay?"

Tsubaki looks down to the ground. "The NOL has been my life ever since I joined it... I just can't believe that these are its true colors..."

"I understand how you must feel, Tsubaki, but try to understand where we are coming from as well. Look at it objectively. Did you not feel that sinister aura coming from the Imperator? Did you not hear her speak?" Jin asks.

"When you put it that way... I suppose that you're right," Tsubaki says. "I don't condone it, but it's something that must be done. I want to help you."

"They may want something to do with Noel, considering they need her for the Master Unit, right?" Nu asks. "Let's go find Noel."

"Hey, not a bad idea! Putting that brain to work! If I had a cookie I'd give you one. If we get Kusanagi and we keep her safe from them, then they can't really get the Master Unit, can they?" Hazama asks.

"Then it is settled. We will rest for the day and then go to the Child of the Azure," Jin says. He glances at the three with him and then lies down, closing his eyes.


	12. Chapter 11

Ragna stands with Rachel on a grassy plain, or rather, where his home had lain before it was burnt to the ground by Terumi. The vampire had decided to pay him a visit, and the two began speaking about a means to defeat the Imperator, and "Kushinada's Lynchpin", something that even Rachel knew little about.

"So this Lynchpin thing can't really kill her, then?" Ragna asks, wanting to confirm what Rachel was talking to him about.

Rachel nods and opens her mouth to speak before she feels herself forcefully pulled down to the ground, letting a small grunt of pain out. A surprised Ragna takes a look around and stops in his tracks when he sees a small, frail girl standing with her back to the two, a purple mage-like figure floating by her side.

"A Gravity Seed... Phantom!?" Rachel looks surprised at the sight of the mage.

"Ah, it has been quite a long time since I have been to this place. It almost feels... nostalgic!" the Imperator Librarius herself comments as she turns around to face Rachel. "Rachel Alucard, I wish for you to stay there and kneel before me while I speak with Ragna."

"Speak with me? What the hell would you wanna speak to me about, Saya?" Ragna asks, taking a defensive stance. He wanted to be prepared in case she makes a surprise attack on him.

"Ragna the Bloodedge, what would it take for me to have you? Would you like Terumi's head? I will bring it to you on a silver platter," Saya says with an emotionless tone. It's not like her at all in Ragna's opinion.

"You can forget it! I'll never work with someone like you!" Ragna yells.

"Ragna... run..." Rachel hates the feeling. The feeling of powerlessness. All that she can do is watch. Observe as Ragna risks his life.

"Brother... do you want me?"

The sudden question knocks Ragna off guard and the man is rendered speechless for a moment, before snapping back to reality and shaking his head.

'What a weird feeling... what just passed through my head just now?' Ragna thinks, trying to keep his cool in the face of this danger.

"Ah... it seems as though I must use a little more power behind it. I did not think that you would be so resilient, brother," Saya remarks, staring into Ragna's eyes with her own crimson pupils.

"Ragna, run!" Rachel yells, this time with more authority, hoping that he will listen to her this time. Her hopes are dashed by the man continuing to stare Saya down. Rachel realizes what is happening before her eyes. The Imperator is placing the Mind-Eater on Ragna.

"Brother! Please come back! I miss you..." Saya says, this time not with the emotionless tone usually in her voice, but in a tone that sounds exactly like the Saya that Ragna knew from long, long ago. He freezes as he hears her words, and then feels everything in his body go numb.

"Ragna the Bloodedge... you are now mine," the Imperator says, a small smile spreading across her lips. Rachel looks into Ragna's eyes with fear. She sees that they aren't full of the spirit that they once were. Now they are filled with nothing but lifelessness.

"That will be all. I have gotten what I have come here for," Saya says, commanding the Phantom to lift the Gravity Seed from Rachel. The girl feels her body lighten up and she stands once more, sitting down on the large, black cat that stands behind her.

The Imperator disappears, with Phantom bringing Ragna in tow. Rachel could do nothing to stop them from their departure.

"Whatever she has plotted in that brain of hers... it cannot be good," Rachel notes, not feeling the strength to stand on her own two feet.

* * *

"From just sheer force of will... simply marvelous."

Relius Clover sits, peering into the Cauldron below. There was a bit of a disturbance at it, so he decided that he would go and check it out. He does not regret going to see what it was.

"Of course, the 13th was much better realized than the others," Relius speaks to himself. Or perhaps he is speaking with the lifeless doll that floats behind him?

"Whatever the case... this will prove to be useful," the man says, chuckling as he stands up.

* * *

"Hey Noellers, you alright in there?" Makoto Nanaya asks the blonde. The two were walking along the path to the aircraft they're going to be taking. Noel snaps out of her trance and looks at the squirrel beastkin. A faint smile spreads across her face and she nods.

"Yeah, I'm okay Makoto... I'm just thinking about everything that had happened back there..." Noel responds. She knows that Makoto wasn't there for that mess, but she did know that Captain Hazama was up to absolutely no good.

"What, with that bastard Hazama and all? It's best not to think about it, y'know? What's done is done. At least you're still Noel," Makoto says, trying her best to cheer the girl up.

"But... but... Major Kisaragi!" Noel's eyes water with tears.

The two go silent, and Noel wishes she could instantly take back what she said. When both she and Makoto found out that Jin had died, they were completely crushed. Jin was considered a dear friend to the both of them, even if he could be a little harsh at times. Well, a lot of harsh.

Noel found out about his death from Ragna the Bloodedge, someone that she would never have expected hearing it from. He even told her that he was his brother, too! The man looked like his soul had been stomped on repeatedly, over and over and over until it was within an inch of dying.

And what's worse is the fact that Tsubaki is nowhere to be found, too.

"Ah! It's them!" a familiar voice snaps the two out of their depression and their moods instantly perk up.

Tsubaki runs forward, away from a group of three people walking alongside her. Makoto and Noel embrace the other as she reaches them and they start laughing.

"Tsubaki, where the hell were you!?" Makoto asks in a scolding tone. She looks behind her to see a girl with very long, silver hair, a man who is hiding his face, and... "Captain Hazama!"

"Whoa, chill out there, Nanaya! Acting like that in front of a superior officer, for shame! I'd have to deduct points on your next review for disorderly conduct, but I'm not exactly with the NOL am I? Neither are you two by the looks of it!" Hazama laughs as he bows to the girls, taking his fedora off. He hangs like that for a few seconds before putting it back on.

"What are you talking about?" Makoto asks warily.

"Oh god you poor, poor soul! You haven't heard abo-" Hazama is cut off by Tsubaki stepping in front of him.

"He's on our side now... and so are these two," Tsubaki says, gesturing to the girl and the man, who has his face completely hidden. She scowls at him and storms over, grabbing what he was using to conceal his face and ripping it out of his hands. "You don't need to hide."

"Hi, I'm Nu! Uh... you probably know me already, Noel," Nu exclaims happily.

"Nu? As in... THE Nu?" Makoto's eyes seem to sparkle somehow. Nu can't find a proper explanation for it.

"Yeah, I guess so..." Nu shrugs. She never liked the whole "famous in the eyes of many" thing.

"Wow... you're even prettier than you are in the movies!" Makoto lets out a fangirl squeal.

"Let go of it, Tsubaki!" Jin yells, making his voice deeper than it should be so he could hopefully fool the other girls. He doesn't feel like dealing with them at all. Especially Makoto. He has no idea what Noel will do, however.

"No, Jin! And will you stop trying to hide who you are from them!?" Tsubaki scolds him, throwing what's in her hands away.

"J-Jin..!?" Makoto's voice makes Jin cringe in horror. "Jin, you're alive!"

Jin's eyes widen as Makoto tackles him to the floor, hugging him in the tightest bear hug that he's felt for a while. "Makoto, ease up!"

"Why the hell did they say that you're dead!?" Makoto asks, getting off of him and helping him up. "That's a load of bullshit if you ask me!"

"M-M-Major Kisaragi... I thought you died!" Noel runs into the man crying, punching him over and over again weakly. "You idiot! Idiot idiot idiot idiot idiot idiot idiot idiot IDIOT!"

'This is unexpected...' Jin thinks. He can't help but want to put a consoling hand on her head. But he fears for how Nu may react. He knows that she's already mad at Tsubaki for getting so much attention from him.

"Noel, I'm here, so would you stop punching me?" Jin asks angrily. Even a man of patience such as he has his limits. Apparently his words shock everyone around. Tsubaki only puts her head in her hand and shakes it.

"Uh, Jin, you okay in the head?" Makoto asks, literally knocking on the man's head. "I mean, normally you aren't so... compassionate?"

Jin shoots a glare at Makoto and turns to face the other girls.

"You know, it's a really, really long story," he says, clearing his throat. He supposes that he'll have to tell it to them. It's either that or have them force it out of them, and he's not sure he's used to having a human body enough to be able to fend them off.

...

"...So, I never existed in your timeline, Mr. Hakumen?" Noel asks.

Jin shakes his head. "No. And please, just call me Jin. I refuse to hide from the truth anymore."

"Hey wait a sec! So, that means that the..." Makoto trails off, mumbling to herself. She realizes that she's mumbling and speaks up louder, finishing with "was your timeline, then..."

Jin decides to ignore that, knowing Makoto to be one who does something like that often.

"Did you all get that?" Hazama asks.

"Yeah, we did," Noel nods. "Wow... I could only imagine what you having Tsubaki as a secretary would have been like! 'You red haired piece of trash, get in my office now with those papers! That disgusting face of yours makes me wanna hurl! Tsubaki, why are you such a failure!?'"

Jin stares at Noel with a confused look on his face. "Um, no. It was actually very pleasant, and if anyone was doing the yelling it was her."

"O-oh..." Noel says.

"What does THAT mean, Jin?" Tsubaki glares at the man. He laughs at her and a warm smile spreads across his face.

"Hahaha, just like that!" Jin announces. "You know, it feels so refreshing seeing your faces again, after such a long time."

Tsubaki notices the death glare that's getting shot at her, Noel, and Makoto from Nu easily. She turns to the girl and smiles. "Nu, is something on your mind? Do you wanna talk?"

"Sure, why not?" Nu asks. Jin watches as Tsubaki and Nu move away from them so that they can't hear. He turns back to the girls.

"What did you call me here for?" Nu asks, crossing her arms much like Jin.

"Nu, ever since I ran into both you and Jin I've been getting these death glares from you, and I want to know why," Tsubaki says.

"Oh, you wanna know why? Well, it's simple. It feels like Jin's caring less and less about me... and caring more about you. Soon, I'll be left all alone again..." Nu says.

"You think that I'm taking Jin away from you? No, I'd never do that to someone... because I kind of know how it feels, to have something that you wanted taken away from you. That jealousy that I held led me to make some bad decisions... and I really regret them," Tsubaki says. "But I'm sure that Jin really does care about you still. When he was talking to me about you, he was saying how much of a joy you were. He may seem like he's getting annoyed, but deep inside he's so glad you're the way you are. He wouldn't have it any other way. To him, you're his beloved little sister, and he'd happily give his life for you."

"He talks about me?" Nu asks, looking over to Jin chatting away with Makoto and Noel, while Hazama hangs in the back.

"He's probably telling them about you right now. I had wanted to know more about you and Jin's relationship, and he told me that you were his little sister, and then he went off to say how much he cherishes you," Tsubaki says.

"Tsubaki? I'm sorry for being so nasty to you... I was just afraid that I would be left alone again, and that's something that I had experienced a lot when I was in the process of being made. The only time that I had with others were spent experimenting on me," Nu says. Tsubaki remembers how Jin told her that Nu is a clone of Saya, and something known as a Murakumo Unit. She didn't realize that Nu had to go through so much suffering, though.

"It's okay, Nu..." Tsubaki says. "Hey, we can be friends after this, right?"

"Yeah," Nu smiles. She looks back to the others and finds that they're all looking at her. She supposes that it's time to go back to them. Tsubaki follows her as she takes a seat next to Jin, giving him a tight hug.

"Hey, do you guys mind hurrying it up? I'm sure that we don't have forever to get out of here," Hazama says.

"Oh, that's right! We're supposed to be going to the aircraft!" Makoto announces, jumping up into the air. Noel stands up and follows Makoto as she begins taking off in a random direction. It's probably the way to the aircraft.

Jin and Nu start running to catch up to them, followed by Tsubaki and Hazama. He holds his fedora on his head so it doesn't fly off. No one knows what the man's obsession with his fedora is.

"Hey, so what the hell are we even running for?" Nu asks Makoto as she catches up to the squirrel.

"Oh, you'll see when we get there! Ooh man, I can't believe I'm actually talking to Nu..." Nu looks closer and sees some drool hanging out of Makoto's mouth. She's that into her, is she? Nu doesn't know how Jin keeps his sanity when dealing with the fans of the Six Heroes. Though, as the man always said: he is a man of patience. It's something that she herself needs to learn, she guesses.

* * *

The group reach the port that they were heading towards. Jin stops in his tracks when he sees Iron Tager standing there, in front of the aircraft. "To what do I owe a visit from the Red Devil himself? Does the Grimalkin need me?"

"Ah, the Hero of Ikaruga himself, eh? Unfortunately I'm not here for you, I'm here with them. Kokonoe sent me here to help guide these two here. I guess that you are tagging along with them?" Tager asks, shifting his glasses up. He looks at the four that are joining along with Makoto and Noel and stops when his eyes fall on Hazama.

"You..." he begins.

"Hey, hey! No need to be rude, Mr. Tager. I'm sure that Kokonoe hasn't gotten word of this, but I'm on your side now. If you don't believe me, then why haven't I tried to kill these beautiful ladies yet?" Hazama asks, looking at each and every one of the girls in the group. "Oh, and I suppose that Jin can pass for a lady himself, too!"

"Say that again, Terumi, and I will have no choice but to sever your head from your body," Jin shoots the meanest glare he can muster at Hazama, whose smile only widens in return.

"Oh, don't get your panties in a knot," Hazama says.

"Wait... something's different about your attitude, Jin Kisaragi. What happened?" Tager asks.

"Well, it's simple, really. That's not the Jin that you know. That's actually _the_ Hakumen! His armor broke when he was fighting against this really strong person!" Makoto exclaims. "But anyway, we should be heading on board right now, right?"

"Yes, we should. We can talk while we're on board," Tager says, turning his massive body around, walking into the aircraft. He's followed by the others and as soon as they walk in the door shuts behind them. Jin has no idea where they are headed to, but he supposes that for now he has to roll with the punches.

There are plenty of seats lining up the rows of the aircraft. It seems like it is more suited to hold an army than it is for a few people. Jin leans forward a little bit to look into the cockpit and sees an unfamiliar man driving it. He guesses that this person is with Kokonoe.

Makoto, Noel, Tsubaki, and Nu take the two seats that are the closest to one another, with Nu sitting next to Tsubaki and Makoto sitting next to Noel. Tager sits down in a seat and takes up the entirety of the space available, so Jin decides that he'll sit the furthest from the others to let them talk. When he passes by Nu, she looks surprisingly happy. He wonders what Tsubaki had said to her to make her that way.

When he sits down he notices Hazama walking down the aisle towards him. He grimaces as the man sits down across from him and starts looking out the window. At least he wasn't going to be running his mouth.

'It has been quite some time since I have been left without the Susano'o Unit... it's odd having a human body once more, but I suppose that until the Susano'o Unit is finished fixing itself, I will have to get used to it again,' Jin thinks, crossing his arms as he leans back in his seat. 'There are many things that I need to get used to again. Such as eating, sleeping, breathing... everything simple like that. I'm so used to the Susano'o Unit sustaining me that I almost forgot how to be an ordinary human, and not just a suit of armor...'

He leans to the right so he can see the table where the girls are sitting and starts watching them, trying his best to hear what they're saying.

"Wow, Nu... you're really pretty," he hears Noel say.

"Oh uh... thanks?" Nu sounds a little confused. She hasn't really interacted with other girls that much before, so she's new to the experience. Jin just hopes that she doesn't screw anything up.

"Yeah, you have really nice eyes, too," Tsubaki says. "Well, I guess... eye?"

"I... I don't really think much of it..." Nu blushes.

"Hey, look back there! Jin's looking over!" Makoto giggles. A sense of dread fills Jin as he snaps back to his previous position. He hears a small laugh coming from Hazama and decides not to talk to him about it. Jin looks around for something to pretend has caught his attention. The window seemed like a pretty good thing to use. He stares out the window along with Hazama for a few seconds and then turns around to look back to the girls to see if they were coming towards him, only to get met with a faceful of Nu.

"Ah! J-Jin..." Nu backs up a little bit and Jin realizes where his face landed. Right inbetween her breasts. He shoots away from the girl and holds his hands up.

"I'm sorry, Nu!" Jin exclaims.

"Jin, calm down, it was only my breasts. And besides... uh, nevermind," Nu says, blushing even more. She puts her hands on her hips and looks back to the girls. He sees her wink at them before turning back to him. "Anyway, Tsubaki and the others want you to sit with us for a bit, so whether you like it or not, you're coming with me."

Not waiting for Jin to respond to her, Nu grabs him by the collar and drags him out of his seat, causing Hazama to burst out laughing. He was keeping it in this entire time and he just had to let it out. Jin glares at him as he's dragged across the floor. He looks at Tager and sees that he has an amused look on his face as well.

'They're all against me,' Jin thinks as Nu throws him onto the seat, next to Tsubaki. She scoots in herself, effectively crushing the poor man between the two girls.

"So, I couldn't help but notice a certain someone was spyiiiing!" Makoto says, waggling her finger in front of Jin's face. He's half tempted to bite down on it, but Makoto'd like that, wouldn't she? She's always been somewhat of a... deviant.

"And what of it? I was wondering if you were treating Nu properly, is all," Jin shakes his head.

"Oho, no! You might be Jin from another timeline, but I know that look from anywhere! You wanted in on our girl talk, didn't you?" Makoto acuses.

"Jinny's always been a bit of a closet perv," Nu adds.

"Again with that nickname!" Jin cuts her off before she can say anything else. "Look, I have no idea what you were talking about, nor do I care, so back off."

"Jinny!?" Makoto holds in laughter. Rather poorly, at that.

"It's a cute nickname, Jin. I might call you that from now on," Tsubaki says. Jin turns to her and smiles faintly.

"I guess it's alright if you say it," Jin whispers so Makoto can't hear him. That girl is the real threat. Not Noel Vermillion, no. Makoto was always the one trying to set him and Tsubaki up with each other back at the academy. He still hasn't found a way to get payback for that yet. But when he does... he'll make sure it's a good one.

"Ah, Jinny, the legendary Hero of Ikaruga, who stopped the war singlehandedly," Tager comments.

"Red Devil..." Jin growls. Tager only laughs, knowing if he continued Jin would more than likely cut him down. It looked like the man's patience was wearing thin already.

"So then, since Jinn..." Makoto almost says 'Jinny', but changes her mind when she sees Jin put his hand on Ookami. "Jin is here, we can start our conversation back up. Anyone else hungry?"

"Oh! I know! I'll cook for everyone!" Nu and Noel announce at the same time.

At that moment, the most horrified, terrified, all around fearful banshee sounding shriek escapes from Jin's lips as he grabs Nu by the waist and nearly throws her down to the seat, holding her there.

"Noel, please don't cook. You'll kill us," Makoto says, a serious tone in her voice. "But more importantly, what on Earth has you screaming in such terror?"

"It was only ONE time, Jin!" Nu huffs.

"Food shouldn't explode. That is, if you call that abomination food," Jin crosses his arms.

"Wait... your food explodes, too!?" Noel asks.

Jin sighs. This is going to be a long, long, long ride.


	13. Chapter 12

Eventually, everyone on board had fallen asleep. The trip to Sector Seven was interrupted by some bad weather here and there, forcing them to slow down the aircraft at some points.

Jin is the only one awake. He sits down in his seat alone and stares out the window at the starry night sky. Thoughts of the events that have passed plague his mind, forcing him awake. Unable to get any form of sleep whatsoever, he merely stares out the window.

"You can't sleep either, Hakumen, sir?"

Jin snaps out of his trance and looks up to see Noel standing at his seat.

"I thought that I had told you to call me Jin?" Jin asks.

"Ah! I'm sorry, Major Kisaragi! I mean... Jin," Noel looks down at the space next to Jin and he shifts over, allowing her to sit down next to him. He turns his head back to the window as she sits down.

"Um... your friend Nu is actually really nice when you get to know her..." Noel says, playing around with her index fingers. Talking to this Jin is such a different experience. Normally by now she'd be kicked out by the other Jin.

"You just need to get to know her," Jin says.

"For some reason, she's kind of like an older sister to me. You know... it seems like just yesterday that she was throwing me all around the Librarium, haha..."

"You seem troubled, Child of the Azure. What plagues your mind?" Jin asks.

"Oh, nothing... it's just my parents... I'm worried about what might happen to them now that I'm a traitor from the NOL," Noel looks down at the table in front of her, a worried expression on her face.

"You told me that the cat will be taking care of them, correct? Then you have nothing to fear. He is a strong one," Jin responds.

"Oh, that's right... you fought the Black Beast with him!" Noel announces.

"Yes, I did. It was a long and grueling battle," Jin nods. "Many died, and things were not the same anymore."

"I see..." Noel says. "Umm... you were there, right? When... when he died?"

"Jin Kisaragi, you mean? Yes, I was there, and I remember it clearly. He died protecting the one he loved with all of his heart," Jin says.

"What were his last words?" Noel asks, her voice shaking.

"That he wanted to tell Tsubaki that he loved her," Jin says.

"Oh..." a single tear slides down Noel's cheek. It obviously must be a touchy subject to her. But how? Why did she care for Jin when he treated her as poorly as he did Saya?

Jin's eyes widen as he remembers something from his past.

 _"Jin... I got you this."_

 _"What is this?"_

 _"Yukianesa..."_

 _"But why would you give something like this to me?"_

 _"Because, even though you hate me, I still love you."_

"Is something wrong, Jin?" Noel asks.

He shakes his head and smiles. "No, no. Nothing's wrong."

* * *

"Kokonoe, are you sure? ...Alright. Roger that."

Iron Tager turns around to look at the others that assembled in front of him. He frowns at them and then sighs loudly. "We're changing course. We're not going to Sector Seven anymore, we're going to head directly to Yabiko, the 6th Hierarchical City of the Allied Cities of Ikaruga."

"We're going to go to Yabiko?" Nu asks.

"Yes," Tager nods. "We should be arriving there within a day's time, from here."

"Why are we going to Yabiko?" Makoto asks.

"Who knows? Even I don't know why. All that Kokonoe said was to go to Colonel Kagura Mutsuki, who's in Yabiko right now," Tager responds. Makoto pales and looks down to the ground for a second before looking back up to Tager.

"Well... okay," Makoto says.

Jin smirks as he remembers exactly why Makoto acts this way when talking about Kagura.

"Ah, so it happened in this timeline, too," Jin says, looking right at Makoto.

"What are you talking about, Jin?" Makoto asks, turning around and putting her hands on her hips.

"Oh, nothing, Makoto! Just something that I'd like to keep to myself, and probably something you'd like kept to yourself as well," Jin says. Makoto blushes wildly and goes to punch Jin in the face, but he catches her fist easily.

"I may look like him, but I am not as foolish as him to let my guard down," Jin says. Makoto growls at Jin before turning back to Tager.

"Who's Kagura Mutsuki?" Noel asks.

"You're telling me that you don't know!?" Jin yells. "He's the current head of the Mutsuki Family, the chief family of the Duodecim. He's also the leader of the Praetorian Guard Corps and the highest commanding officer of the Novus Obris Librarium Praetorian Guard. If it weren't for me, he would have won the title of 'the Hero of Ikaruga'."

"He's Kagura the Black Knight," Tager says. "I don't doubt that he would be able to go toe to toe with you in the Susano'o Unit, or even Azrael..."

"Azrael? Who's that?" Makoto asks.

"You haven't heard about him? The Mad-"

"Nu, that's something best kept to ourselves," Tager interrupts. Nu nods her head and turns her attention to Jin.

"So we're going to be a bit longer before we touch ground? Is that what you're saying?" Hazama asks. He lets out a long sigh, saying, "Now I'll be even more bored."

"You can always talk to us, Captain Hazama," Noel says. Hazama grimaces at the thought and walks over to the end of the airship, looking out the window as usual. Only this time, he begins to play around with his knives.

Nu follows him to the very back and sits down with him, leaving Jin to the girls and Iron Tager. Jin sits down next to Tsubaki and looks up at the ceiling. Right now he's not in the kind of mood to deal with Makoto.

Nu peers over and looks at Jin, smiling at him as she hears him groan.

"You've been acting kind of weird lately Nu-nu. Is something the matter?" Hazama asks.

"Oh, why do you care?" Nu asks, turning around and glaring at him. "I can tell right now that you really couldn't give less of a shit about anything that doesn't have to do with getting back at the Imperator."

"Well that's not necessarily true, darling," Hazama chuckles, watching Nu cringe at 'darling'. "I do kind of care about you and good ol' Jinny. I mean, we WERE allies at the time."

"Bullshit. None of the Six Heroes were friends," Nu says. Not once does she remember Hakumen actually taking the time to talk to the others. The other Six Heroes were usually by themselves too.

"Aww, that one hurt. And here I thought we were friends!" Hazama feigns being actually offended. Nu rolls her eyes and stares at Hazama for a moment before looking back to Jin, who's smiling at the others and chatting away.

"He's so happy now... I'm glad," Nu says.

"What, Jin? It's because of Tsubaki. But he cares about you more than he ever could for Tsubaki," Hazama says.

"I think that what you just said now is the kindest thing you've said in your entire life," Nu comments. Hazama takes a bow and smiles at her.

"I'll take it as a compliment," Hazama says. "But anyway... if nothing's bothering you, then how are your systems? Are you running fine?"

"Am I running fine? I would hope so!" Nu says.

"Alright that was kind of a dumb question. How about this: have there been any problems with your BlazBlue?" Hazama asks. "It could be anything you could imagine, from dizziness to full on pain."

"When I was fighting you and Jin... I kind of felt some kind of darkness rise up out of me when I used the BlazBlue. It's kind of hard to describe, but since you made it maybe you can tell me something?" Nu asks.

"Alrighty. I really don't know what to tell you about it other than the fact that there may be something amplifying the effects of your BlazBlue. I noticed that when you used it against me you were noticeably stronger than you should have been. You're kind of supposed to be just a tad bit under my level since you have so much more experience with it than Raggy does, and the fact that you're a Murakumo Unit too. Instead, I felt myself slowly getting overpowered by you back there. I couldn't, for the life of me, figure out what it was. I was meaning to ask you about it myself," Hazama explains.

"I think it might be because of that thing Kokonoe put in me. The Idea Engine," Nu says.

"Ah, yes, right. The damned Grimalkin and her need to tinker around with everything, trying to make upgrades here and there."

"She said that mine's only a prototype so there could be some negative drawbacks to it. I guess that whatever was happening to me was the side effect of that Idea Enging prototype," Nu nods.

"Hmph... I have a funny feeling we'll be running into her soon. You should ask her to give you a complete one so you don't have to deal with it," Hazama advises.

"I think I'll do that. Uhh... thanks, Terumi," Nu says awkwardly.

"See? I'm not such a bad guy after all, am I?" Hazama asks. "Now all that we need to do is wait for us to reach Yabiko and we can be on our way to Colonel Mutsuki."

"Yeah," Nu nods.

* * *

"So, this is Yabiko?" Jin asks, taking a look around. The group had arrived in a rural area that looked to be quite peaceful. Nu runs over to the rail that keeps them from falling off, looking down into the city below. A bright smile spreads across her face. This is the first time that she has seen a city other than Kagutsuchi. She was amazed by how nice the city looked herself, but that was really the only city she had ever seen. Jin watches her with enthusiasm, finding her childish delight to be refreshing. Whenever something amazes her, she's always like this.

"This isn't Yabiko. This is the 7th Hierarchical City Kazamotsu," Tager says.

"It's really well known for the rich cheese and the thick-sliced bacon pizza! It's really friggin' good!" Makoto exclaims.

"Oh, yeah? Well, let's go get some later, Makoto!" Noel nods.

"You really wanna eat pizza with bacon on top of it?" Nu asks, a concerned look on her face. Just what the hell are those two thinking? "Who puts bacon on their pizza!? Regular cheese is the way to go and you know it!"

"Nu, now's not the time to start an argument over food. This isn't a sightseeing expedition. We need to get moving," Tsubaki says.

"I agree wholeheartedly, Tsubaki," Jin nods.

"Kissass..." Hazama coughs. Jin whirls around and holds his fist up in front of Hazama's face.

"What did you just say to me?" Jin asks dangerously.

"Aww, can't we just see maybe one or two places?" Makoto asks.

"Tsubaki is right, Makoto. We can't play around here, we have work to do," Noel says. "So we can just settle for the pizza joint that's way over there!"

"Idiot!" Nu yells. "Do you realize that we're supposed to be doing something important!? We have no time for your disgusting friggin' bacon pizza!"

"Nu, you're kinda scary when you're mad..." Makoto says.

"Wow... I wish I could be like you more..." Noel says, looking up at Nu. "Well, then again, you kind of _are_ my sister, right? Wait, would you be the older one or the younger one...?"

"Older. I've lived longer than you have," Nu says. "But can we just get to the point here?"

"C'mon, Nu! Don't be such a hardass! We've got plenty of time!" Makoto whines.

"Hey, Red Devil? Why didn't we just go straight for Yabi- wait... dumb question," Hazama cuts himself off before he completely asks Tager his question, remembering that the 6th Hierarchical City has the most highly defended port. If they found a Sector Seven vessel, they'd shoot it down without question.

"Hey... what's that?" Noel points to the left. Makoto turns her head to see what Noel's talking about and sees a massive waterfall.

"Whoa! Check out that waterfall! If you fell, you'd be a goner for sure," Makoto says.

"No, farther. That huge tower... what is that?" Noel asks. Jin looks to where she's pointing and a sense of dread washes over him for some odd reason. He doesn't know why, but that tower is very unnerving. What could be its purpose?

Tsubaki notices something move out of the corner of her eye. When she turns to look at it, she sees multiple guards making thier way towards the group. "Uh oh... looks like sightseeing time is over..."

Everyone turns to where she's pointing and sees the guards too. "Looks like about 14 of 'em. We're surrounded, guys."

Out of the crowd, a man steps forward. He is in a strange outfit, and stands with authority. The man looks at the group before him and opens his mouth.

"You are all under arrest. Resistance is futile. Come with us quietly and we will not have to harm you."

"Oh, come the fuck on," Hazama sighs loudly as he holds his hands up along with the others. They're put in cuffs and are led away.

* * *

"I know that I haven't been the kindest man in my life, and I know that I have made plenty of mistakes. But if there's one thing that I can ask of you, God, it's this. I don't care what it is or how it happens, but kill me where I stand," Jin says, crossing his arms and waiting patiently.

"HEEEEEY!" he cringes at Makoto's voice. Does the damned squirrel need to be so loud!?

"I'm hungry..." Noel complains as her stomach rumbles rather loudly.

"HEEEEY! CAN WE GET SOME FOOD HERE!?" Makoto screams.

"Farewell, cruel world..." Noel falls to the floor, faking passing out.

"I... I... need to use the bathroom," Nu says. She lets out a loud groan and runs to the bars keeping her from the toilet that will give her the relief she needs. "ARE YOU JUST GONNA LET AN ADORABLE, SEXY GIRL LIKE ME SHIT HER PANTS!?"

"...I'm surrounded by idiots," Hazama tips his fedora so that it covers most of his face.

"This is how the legendary Hakumen dies. Not with a bang, but with a whimper. If I stay here any longer I am going to die," Jin's eyes widen as he starts banging his head against the wall.


	14. Chapter 13

Jin's eyes are wide open, thier gaze directed to the ceiling above. It is day two of thier stay in prison, and Makoto has officially been driven to insanity.

Hazama's angry glares directed at her for interrupting his precious sleep are only fueled by Makoto's constant groans of annoyance.

Jin is another, poor, sleep deprived man. Makoto isn't the reason for this, however. What is the reason for this is sprawled across his body.

He oh-so-badly wants to rip the head off of the girl sleeping on top of him. She sleeps peacefully which the man only takes as an insult to him. How dare Nu get the sleep she wants as opposed to him? He, who had to put up with Noel's constant babbling, along with sleep depravation due to not being able to sleep during the flight here.

He lifts his hands and directs them to Nu's neck, but they're thrown off as the girl shoots up from her position, yawning loudly. Jin feels her arms wrap around him and she presses her face dangerously close to his, making them fully collide with one another.

"Oh, Jin... you're so warm... let's cuddle..." she says, still sleeping soundly. Jin is instantly disgusted by her words, his face twisting in disgust. Surely the girl didn't think of him like that? Of course, he could very well be hearing things. Or, at least he hopes.

"Jin... you're so romantic..." he hears Tsubaki murmur. That must be the greatest thing he has ever heard. Tsubaki dreams of him during the night, which makes him prerty happy, but Nu also dreams of him during the night, which could turn out to be a little problematic for him. He hopes that Hazama did not hear him, or else the two of them would never hear the end of it.

'I'm so disgusted because I see her as a sister to me. While she's a clone of Saya, she does have thoughts independant of her... I shouldn't be so critical of this. Perhaps it's also because of Tsubaki I instantly rejected the thought as well,' Jin thinks, looking at Tsubaki. He sees that she's also clung to him in the same way Nu is. 'I shouldn't have immediately thought of it as incestual... I should try to catch some sleep.'

Jin hears footsteps heading his way and looks out of the prison cell, directly at the hall leading down to thiers. Someone is coming down here, but who?

The footsteps are enough to wake those who were sleeping, causing Jin to turn away from where he was watching, instead opting to watch Tsubaki and Nu. Tsubaki wakes up first and realizes that she's on top of Jin, and she jumps off of him like a scared cat. Nu only takes a look at who she's thrown herself over, smiles, and then stays the way she found herself, pressing her face even more into his.

"Nu, this is uncomfortable," Jin says in hopes to get the girl off of him. Or, at least get her face away from his.

"You're warm, I'm cold. Offer it up," Nu says.

"Major Kisaragi? I would not expect you to partake in such... actions. Escpecially in a jail cell," a voice says. Jin looks to see who said that but Nu's hair is in his way, obstructing his vision. He pushes it out of his way and takes a good look at who's talking to him. He recognizes this man. He is short with black hair in a bowl cut. His black eyes stare at Jin intensely. The blue clothes he wears indicates that he's with the NOL.

"You're... Kagura's secretary," Jin says, pushing Nu off of him and standing up, walking over to the bars to meet with the man.

"Yes. Hibiki, sir," the man says. "Colonel Mutsuki has sent me here to come and collect you. He wants to speak with you. So if you will kindly follow me, that would be very appreciated."

Hazama sighs in relief as he watches Hibiki move away from the bars and to the wall at its left, pressing a button. The bars that kept them in the cell move into the right wall, allowing them to finally step out. Hazama nearly runs out, crying out in joy. Everyone steps out from the cell and Hibiki turns around, beginning to walk away. Jin follows him upstairs.

"Man, I thought I was gonna die if I stayed in there longer!" Hazama wipes his brow.

"Aww, it wasn't that bad, Captain Hazama!" Makoto says, patting the man on the back. Hazama whirls around and looks Makoto right in the eyes.

"You were the problem!" He says. "Ugh, I bet that you can't stop talking for more than five minutes!"

"Oh, you wanna bet on that?" Makoto asks, standing up on her toes so she's eye level with Hazama, getting into his face and glaring at him.

"Ugh, your breath smells like nuts," Hazama backs away from her. "Hmph. I think I will bet on that."

"Alright, if I stay quiet for thirty minutes, then you gotta buy me dinner! And if I can't stay quiet, I'll run around with my panties on my head for the rest of the day!" Makoto proposes.

"Wait, why do I have to take you to dinner if I lose the bet?" Hazama asks.

"Because I'm hungry and I haven't had anything to eat ever since you sent me on that mission!" Makoto yells.

"Well, it's not like I don't have the money for it. Alright, you're on, Private Nanaya!" Hazama announces.

"Please be quiet," Hibiki says, turning around to look at them both.

They reach the hallway of the office and are immediately treated to a woman running out of a room, yelling, "I hate you! You inhumane piece of trash! But... I love you!"

She runs past them, leaving them to only stare at the door she came out of.

"Kagura's room..." Jin says under his breath.

"Colonel Kagura!" Hibiki walks up to the door they're looking at and lightly knocks on it.

After waiting a few seconds for a response, he tries again. "Colonel!"

"Ugh... come in..." a voice says. Hibiki opens the door and allows the group to walk in. He doesn't join them, only stepping out of the doorway. The stench of alcohol hits them immediately.

"Ah, alcohol... the drink of lonliness and heated passions..." Jin says nostalgically. Nu nods her head rapidly in agreement.

"Oh, yeah! I remember when you used to sit in your room in Rachel's mansion drinking away! You were always talking about Tsubaki and how much you'd love to tap-" Jin stops Nu with his hand, covering her mouth and reducing the rest of her sentence to a mere mumble.

"Oh, he's drunk..." Hazama notes. They stand in a fancy looking office that has multiple emblems and crests, quite possibly having something to do with both the Duodecim and being the Lord of Ikaruga. Jin looks for Kagura, not failing to catch the curious look directed at him from Tsubaki.

Tager sighs as the man in question steps out from the shadows, revealing himself. His eyes are closed and he looks like he will collapse any minute.

"Ugh... this is pretty bad... Goddamn the light hurts! Someone shut the curtains?" Kagura asks. Jin moves over to them and shuts them, and Kagura nods his head, opening his eyes and looking at Jin.

"Hey, Jinny... long time no see!" he says. "You mind gettin' me some water, too?"

Jin gestures to the water on the table with his head, looking at Nu. She walks over and, after carefully looking at each bottle, picks out the water and brings it to Kagura. He takes it out of her hands and downs it in one go.

"Thanks, babe," he says. He takes another look around and his eyes instantly fall on Makoto. "Oh, hey Makoto. Been a while, huh? How'd you get here?"

"You left us in jail for three days!" Makoto yells.

"Hey, Nu? How'd you pick out the water so easily? They all look like water to me," Noel asks.

"Oh, Noel... living with a man who likes to get himself drunk whenever there's alcohol around is a virtue," Nu says.

"I do NOT drink!" Jin yells.

"Well, you DID stop when you became Hakumen, so y'know," Nu shrugs.

"Wait... Hakumen? We'll get to that later... don't yell, Makoto, my head's pounding. So I'm guessing you guys are the suspicious people?" Kagura asks. "Hey, the annoying people aren't here so let's have a party!"

"You want to have a party, Colonel Mutsuki?" Hazama asks.

"Hey... you're Captain Hazama from intelligence, aren't you?" Kagura asks.

"Why, yes I am! Don't worry about me, I'm with them," Hazama says.

Noel looks on the ground and finds something that really shouldn't be on the floor. She goes to pick it up and looks at it for a moment.

"Looks like someone forgot their undies! Haha, how embarrassing!" Nu exclaims.

"Noel put it down! You'll get Kagura cooties!" Makoto warns, smacking the underwear out of her hands.

"Did you just tell her he has cooties?" Tsubaki asks.

"You cannot start a party in here, Kagura! Are you stupid!? No, I KNOW you are!" Makoto yells.

"Oh, Private?" Hazama asks, tapping Makoto's shoulder. She turns around and looks at him before realizing that she had been talking this whole time. "Shall you put them on now, or later?"

"NO! I WANT A REDO!" Makoto yells, causing Kagura to grab his head in pain from his migrane. "Starting from now on I won't talk! 45 minutes!"

"What are you talking about?" Kagura asks.

"Oh, it's just a bet that me and miss Nanaya have. If she doesn't speak for 45 minutes I take her to dinner, and if she speaks within that time, then she has to wear her panties on her head for the rest of the day. I'm trying to win, here," Hazama explains.

Kagura smiles and looks at Makoto. "Y'know... maybe that ain't such a bad idea..."

The glare that he receives could kill a man.

"Damn those breasts are nice..." Kagura says, staring right at Makoto's chest. Makoto turns around and punches one of the bottles on the table, completely shattering it and causing the contents to pour out. "MY TEQUILA!"

He lets out a long breath and turns to Noel. "I don't believe we've met, Noel Vermillion. It's nice to meet you."

Noel salutes him. "It is an honor to make your acquaintance, Colonel Kagura Mutsuki! I am Lieutenant Noel Vermillion! Wait... I guess I'm not a lieutenant anymore... neither of us have our ranks anymore..."

"Doesn't really matter, does it? It's alright if I call you Noel, right? Oh, and it's nice to see you too, Tsubaki," Kagura says. Tsubaki smiles at him and bows.

"If that is what you prefer, then that is fine," Noel says.

"No need to be so uptight! Call me Kagura, babe," Kagura says.

"Babe?" Tsubaki asks.

"What, want me to call you babe, too? Huh, babe? Maybe doll? That one's pretty popular too," Kagura chuckles. Makoto punches his shoulder as Tsubaki smiles at the man. She thought he was scary, but he's actually quite charming.

"What, are you still angry, lover number 3?" Kagura asks.

Makoto glares at him one more time.

"Lover number 3?" Jin asks. "Hah! So it DID happen!"

Makoto shakes her head rapidly.

"I'm utterly shocked our romantic night together meant so little to you. Oh, Kagura! That's going i-" Kagura is interrupted by Makoto punching him again.

"Makoto! Don't tell me that you..." Tsubaki begins.

"Ah! This gives me an idea for a poem! A night, under the summer breeze!" Noel begins. Makoto slams her hand over Noel's mouth.

"Oh, Miss Nanaya, I didn't know you had such a wild side to you!" Hazama exclaims.

"Makoto and Kagura, sitting in a tree!" Nu begins.

"IT NEVER HAPPENED!" Makoto screams.

Instantly Hazama and Kagura hi-five each other, both yelling "Yes!"

Makoto stares at the two wide-eyed, knowing that she was defeated.

"Where is Kokonoe?" Tager asks.

"Basement," Kagura points down. "Some huge package gets here and she's like 'I'm gonna assemble that' and just disappears. Haven't seen her since."

"I see... how do you get down to the basement? I'm worried about Kokonoe," Tager asks.

"Don't worry about me, Tager. I'm fine." Kokonoe says. She appears from the doorway and walks past the arguing pair of friends, stopping in her tracks when she hears a chilling voice of the past.

"Been a while, Kokopuffs!"

She whirls around to see the man that betrayed the Six Heroes and killed her mother.

"YUKI TERUMI!"


	15. Chapter 14

The room is deathly silent after Kokonoe's initial reaction to seeing Hazama standing there, right before her eyes, in the flesh. Everything is quiet. Jin can only stare at the two, wondering what will happen next.

Hazama flinches at Kokonoe's yell, and rubs the back of his head. "Ah, I could have guessed that you would have had that initial reaction, Koko. Before we get crazy here, mind if I explain some things?"

"You want me to listen to you? After everything that you've done!? Hell no, you bastard! This is my chance to kill you, and I'm gonna take it!" Kokonoe yells.

"Man you really are an uptight bitch, aren't you? I don't think you'd be able to kill me even if you had the chance to, because little miss Noel here is the thing that's keeping me alive and kicking, you know. Life links, and all that," Hazama smirks at Kokonoe.

"Grimalkin, as much as it pains me to say, Terumi has switched sides. He is now with us, since the Imperator has betrayed him," Jin says.

Kokonoe glares at Jin, but that glare soon turns into a look of confusion. This is Jin Kisaragi, right? So why is he talking just like Hakumen?

"The Susano'o Unit has shattered," Jin explains, knowing that she was about to ask him what happened to the Susano'o Unit. "But you have to listen to me when I say that Terumi is not against us, but with us."

"..." Jin's words make Kokonoe fall silent. She looks like she's in deep thought, starting holes into Hazama with her eyes. Tager looks at Kokonoe and wonders just what's going on through that mind of hers. He takes a step forward, putting a massive hand on her shoulder.

"Kokonoe, I understand how you feel about this man, but be reasonable. If he was against us, then- as he said to me- he would have killed everyone here in a heartbeat..." Tager explains.

"Well, I can kill Terumi if he ever gets out of hand!" Nu exclaims.

"Oh, please, it took you and Ragna both and you know it," Hazama rolls his eyes. "But that was a really nice way to go. Crafty little girl, ain'tcha Nu-nus?"

"The point is that Hazama is turning a new leaf, Miss Kokonoe," Tsubaki says. "You'll have to excuse him if he slips into more villainous tendencies, but other than that, he's actually a pretty okay guy."

"...Fine. It's not like I'll ever forgive you for what you've done, but if you're on our side then that means that I have to work with you whether I like it or not..." Kokonoe sighs heavily. She finds that she's been doing that a lot lately.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Kokonoe," Noel bows.

"So, you're _the_ Noel Vermilion, huh? Well, come with me," Kokonoe says. She takes a look at Nu and then puts a hand on her chin, stopping to think for a moment. Nu remembers that she wanted to tell Kokonoe about her Idea Engine and smiles at her. "You can come with me too, Nu. Down to the lab with the both of you."

"Oh, Kokonoe? I was wondering if I could accompany you there. Nu has a problem with her Idea Engine- the prototype one that you gave her- and I was wondering if I would be able to see exactly what this thing is," Hazama asks.

"Fine," Kokonoe doesn't bother to look at the man, and walks out the door with Noel, Nu, and Hazama. Left to wait, Kagura looks at Makoto and smirks.

"So, panties now, or later?" he asks.

"I'll kill you both," Makoto scowls.

Jin, without saying a word, walks out of the room and down the same way Kokonoe went with the other girls and Hazama. Tsubaki tries to follow him, but Kagura pulls her back before she can leave.

"I bet ol' Jinny's worried about his secretary, so leave him be, alright?" Kagura asks.

"That's not Jin," Tsubaki, Makoto, and Tager say.

Kagura's eyes narrow at their comment and he looks at Jin as he walks down the hall. "I dunno, looks pretty much like Jin to me. Unless that's his evil twin or something? No, wait, I heard you call him Jin. Is something wrong here?"

"Well, he _is_ Jin but he's not," Tsubaki says. "That's the legendary leader of the Six Heroes, Hakumen! Before he put on the Susano'o Unit to fight the Black Beast with the other Six Heroes and his sidekick, Nu, he was Jin Kisaragi!"

"So you're telling me there's two Jins running around, and one of them just so happens to be one of the Six Heroes!? Hakumen, no less!?" Kagura asks. "I somehow find it pretty damn hard to believe you, and I don't like telling such a beautiful girl that she's a liar."

"The Jin you know... Major Jin Kisaragi, the Hero of Ikaruga... is dead. Killed in combat," Tsubaki says, her voice wavering just thinking about what happened.

 _"...Tsubaki... I always wanted to tell you..."_

She shakes her head to snap herself out of it and continues on. "The Jin that is with us now is Hakumen of the Six Heroes, though since his armor has shattered, he's taken on his old name and appearance."

"I see... well, with the way that you said it... I can't help but think it's the truth. I didn't believe it at first, but the fact that you got so emotional when you were talking about how the Jin I know died... that kind of emotion can't be faked," Kagura says. "I'm sorry I doubted you."

"Please, there's no need," Tsubaki says. "I've moved on."

* * *

"Hakumen, you're here, too?" Kokonoe asks, watching as Jin walks into the lab. Nu is sitting down on a chair, and Noel is nowhere in sight. He wonders where she went. Hazama is there, watching Nu carefully. "I know why you're here. Nu, right? Don't worry, she's safe. Oh, and Noel is getting a change of clothes."

"So Kokonoe, I've been having a problem with my Idea engine interfering with my BlazBlue ever since you gave it to me. It's been amplifying its power and I think something bad is gonna happen to me if I use my BlazBlue any more. I want you to either get rid of the Idea Engine or just give me the one... she had," Nu says, looking down to the ground thinking about the Nu that belongs to this timeline.

Her little sister.

"You're talking about Lambda? Well, I did make a backup of the Idea Engine that I gave to Lambda, so I can put that in you. That is, if you want it," Kokonoe says.

"Yeah, I'd like that. Something to remember Lambchops by..." Nu says, smiling at Kokonoe.

"Well, let's get started," Kokonoe says.

"I just came down here to see what you were going to do with Nu, so I'll be going now," Jin says, turning around and walking out of the lab.

* * *

As Jin walks back into Kagura's office, the man smiles at him and waves hello. Jin ignores him, opting to stand next to Tsubaki and not say a word as he looks at the alcohol on the table next to Kagura. It's looking very appealing right now.

"Guess I gotta start calling you 'Hakumen' now, huh?" Kagura asks with a smirk. Jin looks at Kagura and narrows his eyes.

"So you know? Only Jin is fine," Jin says.

"Aww what's wrong, Jinny?" Kagura teases. "It's actually good that you're here. We need to talk about something, you and I. Tsubaki as well, and even you, Tager. Makoto, I guess you can listen in if you want."

"Sounds pretty serious, Colonel. What's the matter?" Tsubaki asks, a concerned look on her face.

"It's about Jin's brother. Ragna the Bloodedge?" Kagura says his name, hoping to refresh the memory of anyone who would forget that fact, or at least reveal that fact to anyone who didn't know. "Well... I got word from Kokonoe that a certain someone decided to join the NOL, and got a promotion from the Imperator herself immediately after joining."

The news floors Jin, not able to believe that Ragna the Bloodedge, his brother, the same man who destroyed multiple NOL libraries, is now a member of said organization and has been promoted by the Imperator. Then again, if the Imperator is involved, Ragna's joining of the NOL was more than sinister. Something is wrong.

"What rank?" Jin asks.

"Captain," Kagura responds.

Jin lets out a laugh. A laugh that he remembers letting out when he found out that his brother was in Kagutsuchi, long long ago. Tsubaki backs away from Jin as he holds his head back in laughter. This is her first time experiencing Jin like this, and it's quite frightening to her.

"Captain Ragna the Bloodedge? You've truly outdone yourself, Dark One!" Jin yells.

"What are you guys talking about?" Noel asks. She walks in the room along with the others that left for Kokonoe's lab. Noel's clothes are different. Instead of her NOL uniform she's wearing clothes that are styled similar to it, with a tight-fitting shirt that exposes her back and a short skirt. Two gun holsters are on her hips, obviously for Bolverk.

"Wow, very nice, Noel!" Makoto beams. Noel shyly smiles and nods her head.

"Umm... you think I'm showing too much skin?" Noel asks, blushing. She notices Kagura staring at her and smiles at him.

"Yeah, what the heck were you guys talking about? Jin's psycho laugh tells me something's wrong," Nu says.

"Oh, nothing. We're just talking about good ol' Ragna. He's a Captain in the NOL you know," Kagura says. He looks at Noel once more, wanting to get lost in her eyes. "Hey Noel, how about I treat you to dinner later? I ever mention you're one of the most beautiful girls I've ever seen?"

"Don't listen to his lies, Noel!" Makoto yells.

"What the hell do you mean he's a Captain!?" Nu yells. Kagura looks at Nu and pauses for a moment. Then, his jaw drops.

"I can't believe I haven't let my eyes fall onto you at all until now," Kagura takes Nu's hand and holds it up. "You're name is Nu, right? And you're Noel's sister? How are you so much... bigger? Never mind that. Those red eyes of yours are like the... burning red... something..." Kagura trails off, thinking of what to say. He's completely interrupted by Ookami falling in front of him. He jumps back and turns his head to Jin, whose eyes are burning with rage.

"Hands off," Jin warns. "Or Ookami will not miss its mark next time."

"Alright, alright. So then, what are we gonna do?" Kagura asks, backing away and putting his hands up defensively. "About Ragna and the Imperator, I mean."

"The Dark One and I have unfinished business. Nu, we go," Jin commands, turning around and walking out the door. He doesn't know where he'll find Ragna, but he knows Ragna will most likely be looking for him, too. To the Imperator, everyone in the room that she saw during the fiasco with Mu-12 is a traitor.

Nu quickly hurries over to follow Jin out the door, leaving the others to talk about their plans. Tsubaki looks back and forth throughout the room and decides that she's going to follow Jin. She dashes out the door so she can catch up with the two, but not before bowing politely.

"There he goes..." Kagura sighs. "Well, I guess the guy's always had his own agenda. But to have two girls like that completely in the palm of his hand? Damn, what a lucky bastard."

"I'm going too! I want to save Ragna!" Noel yells, running out the door. She knows for a fact that there's no way Ragna would join the NOL of his own volition. Something has to be wrong with him. And she has to repay a debt to him for helping her out in her time of need. She looks for the group that just left, but they're already gone.

"Wait, Noellers!" Makoto runs off after her. Hazama glares at Makoto as she leaves and looks at the other three in the room.

"I'll get them before they do anything stupid," Hazama announces, planning to rush out the door with Ouroboros.

"No, no. Let Tager handle this. Terumi, Kagura, I have to introduce you to someone," Kokonoe says. "Come on in."

Hazama stands next to Kagura and keeps his eye on the door that Tager left from in anticipation. Who could be so important that this damned cat has to keep him here?

"Hi!"

Coming in the door is a ghost of the past. He doesn't believe his eyes for one bit. For once in his life those eyes of his bug out of their sockets. He can't help but gawk at the sight in front of him. Not because he's infatuated with the girl, no. But because the girl standing in front of him, alive and kicking, was supposed to be dead.

"CELICA A. MERCURY!?"

* * *

"Noellers, what the hell is up with you running off like that!?" Makoto asks, finally catching up to Noel in the middle of the Librarium. Noel stops, hearing Makoto's voice, and turns around to meet her childhood friend.

"Hey Makoto! I was waiting for you to catch up!" Noel beams. Makoto sighs in relief and puts a more serious look on her face, then puts her hands on her hips and stares Noel down.

"Noellers, you're not supposed to run off like that! Now everyone's worried about us! Look, shouldn't we go back to them and tell them that we're okay?" Makoto asks.

"No, Makoto. I want to do this. I want to go and find Ragna the Bloodedge so that I can repay my debt to him. It's the least that I can do after he saved me before..." Noel says, determination clear in her eyes. Makoto sees this determination and gets fired up herself.

"Alright then, I guess we can go and find Ragna if he means that much to you! I'm with you 100 percent, Noel!" Makoto pumps her fist. "Now then, first thing's first-"

"Coming back, I should hope," the two gasp at the voice and turn around to see Tager walking up to them, a more than serious look on his face. "You're going to cause a lot of trouble for us if you don't come back right now. We can't have you going around, running all willy-nilly like the way that you're planning to!"

"Busted..." Makoto groans, slumping her shoulders.

"Tager, please! You have to understand! Ragna the Bloodedge is my friend, and I think I owe it to him to help him out. I know that he wouldn't join the NOL willfully, so something must be the matter with him. When I find him I'm gonna snap him out of it, just like he did for me..." Noel explains. "So please, can't you just let the two of us go, Tager?"

"Are you done?" Tager asks slowly. Those three words alone are enough to crush Noel's hopes of convincing Tager through friendship. "If so then we can get this over with. You're coming with me, whether you like it or not." He takes a step towards the two girls and Makoto jumps in front of him to stop him from moving forward any further. She holds her arms out and shakes her head defiantly.

"No! You have to let us go, Tager. Can't you see that Noel's really put her mind to this? Who are you to tell her what she can or can't do?" Makoto asks.

"..." Tager falls silent, in deep thought. Should he let the two of them go? It would prove to be a little bit problematic for Kokonoe and Kagura, but those two must have seen that this would happen, right? So, should he let them go, or not? Tager sighs. Against his better judgement, he decides to let them go.

"Go," he gestures to the door that Noel was about to walk out from.

"Really! You're letting us go!?" Noel exclaims happily.

"Yes, I am. Now just go, you troublesome kids," Tager says, a hint of a smile on his face. Makoto gives Tager a thumbs up as Noel runs out the door as fast as she can, with Makoto following close by.

* * *

"So... we're just going to wander around until we find him, or he finds us?" Tsubaki asks. The three have been walking for a few hours now, but not before stopping by one of the restaurants in Kazamotsu and getting something to eat. They would need to have their stomachs full before they start such a long search.

"No. Ragna will eventually run into the three of us, but there is something that I would like to concern myself with while we're searching for him. The destruction of the Imperator Librarius," Jin says.

Tsubaki gasps at hearing such a bold statement out loud, but then remembers that the Imperator isn't exactly who she thought she was. The Imperator needed to fall.

"I understand how you must feel about all of this, Tsubaki, but please listen to me. The Imperator is who we are going up against. There will be nothing that changes that simple fact," Jin says.

"I know... but I just can't believe that the Imperator is really evil..." Tsubaki says.

"Sometimes you really aren't able to believe the true motives of someone..." Nu says, looking down to the floor. Jin knows that she's talking about Terumi, and what he did to the Six Heroes. His betrayal that left them devastated.

The group find themselves in the middle of an open field now. There is a giant tower in the middle of it that shoots up into the sky, something that Noel pointed out when she looked at it from Kazamotsu. Nu once again shivers just looking at it. Something definitely does not feel right about that tower, but she just couldn't tell what it was.

"That's the tower that Noel was talking about when we were in Kazamotsu," Tsubaki notes, taking a look at it. She tries to see if it ends or not, but the tower pierces the clouds above, and shows no signs of ever stopping there.

"Ragna the Bloodedge... where are you?" Jin asks, looking around for the man. Could he be here? There's no telling where the man is, but Jin has a funny feeling that it's somewhere close.

 _"Oh, Brother! Where are you, Brother!?"_

A sudden, painful sensation washes over his body, and Jin's head starts hurting. Jin clutches his head in an attempt to dull the searing pain. Nu and Tsubaki rush to his side and help keep Jin standing up, as he was about to collapse to the ground.

"What... is... this feeling...?" Jin asks. "It's so... familiar..."

 _"I'm going to take my time... and ENJOY killing you, Brother!"_

"Get out of my head!" Jin lets out a pained yell. He jerks his body away from the two girls. "Stay away from me! I don't know... what's happening!"

And just like that, the pain vanishes. Jin stands up straight and removes his hands from his head. He turns around to see Nu and Tsubaki's concerned faces, and lets out a sigh.

"What was that...?" Jin asks.

"Geez... looks like I've finally found you, crybaby," the familiar voice knocks them out of their thoughts as they whirl around to see a man wearing a red jacket approaching them, a giant sword in hand.

"You!" Tsubaki yells, grabbing hold of Izayoi. "You're Ragna the Bloodedge!"

"Yeah, I am. What's it to you?" Ragna asks. "You two... or rather, all of you, have become a real big thorn in Saya's side. But, I have all of the pieces that I need in place. Phantom, it's time to remove these ones from the board. Get over here."

The familiar figure appears behind Ragna, and Jin can't help but shout, "Nine!"

"Take these three away from here right now," Ragna commands. Before Jin has a chance to react, he feels himself getting whisked away by Phantom's magic. He doesn't know where he's going to go, and he hopes that it's not far from Nu and Tsubaki.

* * *

When Jin opens his eyes once more, he sees himself in a horrible looking place.

"This place... it's very gloomy..." Jin says to himself. He notices that there are multiple graves with the same emblem on them piled in the center of the area. There's a red liquid flowing from where the graves are, and it gives Jin an uneasy feeling inside. Other than that, this huge space is completely empty.

"Where the hell am I!? What's your plan, Ragna!? Where are you!?" Jin yells. He knows that Ragna is there.

"Tch. Settle down, Jin. I can hear you just fine," Ragna's voice echoes throughout the area. "Since your timing was absolutely perfect, I figured that I'd have you help me out for a little bit with my preparations."

"I would never help you," Jin growls.

"Haha... Calm down, Jin. I'm not the one that you're fighting today," Ragna laughs. It unnerves Jin. The way that his brother is acting is definitely not like him at all, but he supposes that's part of the Imperator's Mind Eater curse. "Now then, I guess it's time for a family reunion, huh?"

Jin turns around to see what Ragna was talking about, and sees something out of the corner of his eye. He looks up to see someone descending from the air. Jin's eyes widen when he sees a very, very familiar bodysuit. The girl touches the ground, an emotionless look on her face.

"Nu...?" Jin asks. "No, if it was _you_ , you would have said something by now. But how is that possible? I watched you fall into the Cauldron..." Jin looks away for a second. This is the Nu that belongs to this timeline.

"Have fun, you two," Ragna says.

"Jiiiin..." Nu looks into Jin's eyes with a look of sheer adoration on her face.

'What is she looking at me like that for...? Isn't that how she looks at Ragna? Why is she doing it to me? Wait a second... I think I have a theory, but I'm not sure if it's true or not. If this conversation drags out then I'll know for sure what's going on,' Jin thinks.

"Aww! Don't ignore me, Jin!" Nu pouts. "Let's kill each other, okay? So we can be together forever, and that bitch Tsubaki won't ever take you away from me... cause we'll live together in the afterlife, where nothing can split us apart!"

"What!?" Jin yells, throwing up Ookami at just the right time to block a sword flying at him. "How do you know who Tsuba- Wait... I was right, then! I don't know how you were reborn, but something must have happened to you during your rebirth... you seem to have gained the memories of my Nu."

Something funny comes across Jin's mind. It's quite ironic that Nu said that she wanted a part of Lambda to remember her by, and it turned out that Lambda was actually the Nu that he is about to cross blades with right now. So, it seems like the two traded a part of themselves with each other. The Idea Engine going to Nu, and some of Nu's memories going to this one.

Suddenly, the same sensation from before came over Jin again. He falls down to the floor and clutches his head, wondering just what it could be this time. He feels something insanely cold envelop his hand. He stares at the spot where he feels the sensation, watching as a long, thin line of ice appears in it.

"No..." Jin shakes his head. "This can't be..." The ice on his hand shatters, and a blue sheath is left in its place. Jin slowly looks up to see Nu staring at him, annoyed at his lack of a response to her.

"Aren't you ready yet, Jin!? You don't know how to please a woman, do you?" Nu asks stomping on the ground not unlike a child throwing a tantrum.

"...What a sick twist of fate," Jin smirks as he stands up. He decides that he'll use this sword today, for old time's sake.

"Yukianesa's power..." Jin slowly, deliberately, takes the blade out from its blue sheath. He holds it at his side, getting adjusted to the feel of the katana. It has been so long since he last held it. "Experience it firsthand!"

He does not know why Yukianesa suddenly appeared in his hand, but at this moment he doesn't care. What he does care about is surviving this battle, and then going to find Ragna so that he can kill the man.

Nu has a look of pure ecstasy on her face as she makes her way to Jin. He grits his teeth as he prepares for the grueling battle ahead.


	16. Chapter 15

"C'mon, Jin! Let's dance!" Nu cries out, throwing her arm forward as a sword makes its way to Jin. He instinctively holds up a hand to form a shield, but forgets that the Susano'o Unit isn't on him anymore. The sword cuts through his arm and he cries out in pain.

"I've never realized how painful these swords were..." Jin remarks as he steps to the side, dodging another one. He rushes forward to Nu and ducks underneath of another sword, but when he goes to slash at her she knees him in the stomach, giggling all the while.

"Aww Jin... you're holding back for me?" Nu asks, an innocently cute look on her face. Then, that face changes into one of complete anger. Jin can't help but be frightened by the way Nu can just change emotions like that. The same goes for his Nu as well, as he knows she can do the same thing. "If you hold back for me, I really will kill you."

The ferocity in her voice makes Jin's eyes widen. He jumps away just in time to avoid a giant sword coming from the ground. If he hadn't dodged, it would have impaled him and that would have been it. He needs to be more careful.

Jin leaps over another sword coming out of the ground and forms a platform of ice underneath of his feet. He propels it forward towards Nu and rams it into her, and then hops off of it and spins in the air, slashing Nu as he falls to the ground.

Nu kicks the air in front of her and two swords fling themselves at Jin, who blocks them with a wall of ice protruding from his shoulders. Jin slashes at Nu but she dodges the attack easily, countering with another knee to the stomach.

Before Nu can go in for another attack, Jin pulls Yukianesa out of its sheath and slashes Nu rapidly, stopping her in her tracks. Jin finishes his rapid succession of slashes and slices right through her. Instead of cutting her apart, she is encased in a block of ice. Without looking back, Jin slowly puts Yukianesa back into its sheath, and as he puts it back the ice behind him shatters. Nu falls to the floor, unable to stand.

"It seems that I have not forgotten how to use Yukianesa's powers," Jin notes out loud. "Chalk it up to 'muscle memory', I suppose."

Nu struggles to her feet and stares at Jin in ecstasy. "Yes, Jin! That's what I want! I want more! Give me more!"

Jin jumps back, avoiding the swords that were about to come down on him, and throws a blade made out of ice at Nu. It's easily deflected and Nu keeps her assault going strong. Jin ducks underneath of a kick and reaches up, grabbing the leg that she was trying to kick him with. He flips her over his body and slams her down into the floor behind him.

Nu is up before he even gets an attempt to defend himself, cutting Jin down the back with a sword. Jin falls to the ground and Nu leaps on top of him, pausing for a moment to relish the position that she's in.

"Oh, you don't know how long I've waited to see you like that..." Nu smiles eerily at Jin. He stares at her with a frightened expression on his face. What is she planning to do to him? Nu lowers her head to his and licks a small cut on his cheek from her sword. Jin flinches at the touch. Nu moans sensually as she stands up, grabbing Jin by the collar of his uniform and taking him up with her. "God, that feels so good..."

"You _bitch_..." Jin mutters, grabbing Yukianesa out of its sheath and slashing Nu across the stomach while she was distracted. She gasps in surprise, watching as Jin sheathes the sword once more.

"You know, that's really rude of you..." Nu frowns at him. "Can't we just stop to enjoy ourselves every now and then? I don't like fast ones... I guess that pretty much confirms it. You really don't know how to please a woman..."

"I do not have the time for this," Jin growls, leaping back and putting Yukianesa's blade at the ground. He slashes upward and a giant wave of ice is sent flying Nu's way. She smiles at it and raises her arms into the air, bringing them down as a portal appears in front of her. Multiple tiny swords rain from the portal, sent flying toward the wave of ice headed her way. The blades collide with the wave, and the wave looks like it's slowly getting overpowered.

Jin smirks. He only used the wave as a diversion. He holds Yukianesa in front of him not unlike a bow and pulls back on an invisible string. A bow made out of ice appears from Yukianesa and a giant ice arrow appears on it.

"Aww... that's so cute..." Jin nearly drops Yukianesa when he hears Nu's voice behind him. He can feel her breath hit his ear. She's right on top of him. "Jin... don't ever make a mockery out of me, okay? Because... I might have to..."

Jin feels a sword run down his back, causing him to cry out in pain.

"Do that."

Jin curses himself. How could he forget that Nu could slip away from things like that easily? He's known the girl for how many years, now? Jin can't shake the feeling that this is going to be the end of him.

'No...' Jin spins around, ignoring the pain. Nu gasps as Jin raises his sword, holding it above his head. She wasn't expecting him to be able to move after that!

"Empty Sky Form!" Jin slashes Yukianesa down, forming a giant wave of energy and sending her flying away from him. "Summer's Advance!"

Jin sighs as he watches her skid across the floor, stopping at the caskets in front of him. He Yukianesa disappears from his hands, and he instinctively checks to see if Ookami is still situated on his back, in its enormous sheath. He sighs in relief as he feels the blade in there. He watches silently as Nu struggles to her feet once more.

"That's it, Jin! I want more! More!" Nu screams. Jin can only stare as Nu, a complete bleeding mess ready to collapse, approaches him. He can tell that she doesn't have as much fight in her. She does, however, have the ability to creep him out, still. "Jin! I need more! You're not gonna satisfy me with just that..."

Jin only stares at Nu, a sorrowful look on his face. This mess of emotions that stands before him... is this how his Nu feels on the inside? He looks down, in deep thought. He tries to recollect any moments that may have tipped him off to Nu's true feelings.

The sudden attachment to him during his time at Rachel's manor is one. The look that she gave him when they ate at the restaurant in Kagutsuchi is another that he can faintly recall. He also remembers watching Nu fume in jealousy about him spending more time with Tsubaki. And what happened in the jail cell?

It all makes sense to Jin, now.

"Don't just stand there, Jin! Give me more!"

Before Jin has a chance to respond to her, the ground beneath his feet starts to rumble. Jin is thrown to the ground along with Nu, and he looks around frantically for the cause of the tremor.

"Oh, finally!" he hears Ragna's voice yell. Ragna himself appears in front of Nu, who smiles in joy at the mere sight of him.

"Ragna!" Nu hugs the man's feet. Jin squints as he watches the two in front of him. It made no sense to him whatsoever. Then, he remembers that this Nu is like his Nu and the Nu that belongs to this world combined. Of course she would keep her attraction to Ragna, but now she also has an attraction to him as well thanks to his Nu.

"Nu, we can have as much time to ourselves as you want later, just get off me," Ragna warns. Nu lets go of the man and nods happily, watching as he approaches Jin.

"I have to hand it to you, Jin, the Power of Order really is something else," he says.

"This isn't just a normal earthquake... this is... phenomena intervention!? But how? Something of this magnitude is impossible!" Jin yells.

"Oh, it is, crybaby. Since Saya seized Takamagahara, she has full control over it now, and it's stronger than Noel's. I guess you could say that Ikaruga is in the palm of her hand right about now," Ragna says.

"Dammit!" Jin yells, gritting his teeth as he prepares to lunge at Ragna. He can still fight some more, if he's going against him. He has to stop Ragna and bring him back to his senses, and he's going to do just that right here.

"You always were a tenacious little bitch..." Ragna says, thinking back about his Jin. "I guess when you became Hakumen that didn't really change now, did it? Hey, Nu. Jin says he's ready for you, so why don't you go and play around with him some more. He knows how bad you want him."

Nu's mood brightens up as she jumps to her feet. Jin can _feel_ Nu's gaze.

"You're not allowed to have other lovers, Jin... Only me, okay? I'm the only one that can have the both of you... Ahahahaha... Hahahahaha!" Nu's eery laugh catches Jin off his guard and he hastily throws Ookami up to block an attack from her.

"Nu... you bitch!" Jin yells.

"Hahahaha...!" Ragna throws his head back and laughs insanely. "You foolish puppets... your strings tangled together... Dance! Kill each other! Tear each other apart! Let your screams of pain and sorrow... ring in the coming of the Nemesis Horizon!"

Jin feels everything go black after that.

* * *

"God _damn_ that was delicious!" Nu exclaims as she slams her bowl down. Tsubaki can't help but wonder how the girl is able to eat so much without getting a single amount of flab on her. She finds herself quite jealous of her, actually.

"Jin, are you okay? You look like you're zoning out," Tsubaki says. Jin opens his eyes to find himself in the restaurant in Kazamotsu.

"Hm? No, I'm fine... please, Tsubaki. Continue eating," Jin says, smiling warmly at her to assure that he's okay. Tsubaki doesn't look convinced, but otherwise continues eating her meal.

'This isn't good... Why do I feel so sluggish...?' Jin asks himself. He takes a look over to Nu, and suddenly an image of her staring at him in adoration pops into his head, accompanied with a pile of caskets.

"What the hell...?" Jin asks himself.

"Are you sure that you're okay, Jin?" Nu asks him. "You can talk to us, Jin. We've been together forever..."

Jin flinches as a memory that he is sure never happened pops into his mind.

 _"Let's kill each other... so we can be together forever, and that bitch Tsubaki will never split us apart!"_

"No...! Get out of my head!" Jin yells, grabbing at himself in desperation. Tsubaki and Nu rush to his side, wondering why he was suffering some kind of mental breakdown. The other people in the restaurant all turn to look at Jin, wondering what was going on.

"Jin, let's get out of here! You're scaring everyone," Nu says, grabbing on to Jin. As soon as he feels her hands on him he throws her off.

"No, get off me!" Jin yells, staring at Nu with fear. "I won't let you kill me! I won't!"

"Jin...? What the hell are you talking about!?" Nu asks, taken aback by his outburst. Just what's going on here?

"Get away from me! Never come near me again you monster!" Jin yells, running out the door, pushing past anyone who dared to stand in his way. Tsubaki and Nu share a concerned look with each other before chasing after Jin.

* * *

"What are these memories!?" Jin yells as he runs through Kazamotsu. "I don't remember these at all!"

 _"Let your screams of pain and sorrow... ring in the coming of the Nemesis Horizon!"_

"A phenomena intervention...? Dammit, I can't even think straight!" Jin grumbles.

Jin stops when he can't run anymore. He settles for walking instead. Something is definitely wrong with him. He has to get out of here, now. He collapses to the floor, his eyes closing.

* * *

"Jin, how many times do I have to say it? You shouldn't be fighting with your brother, or even Saya for that matter."

"But... You see what she does! She hogs Ragna all to herself, and I'm left all alone again!"

"Huh...?"

"I hate being alone... I hate it so much..."

"Jin, are you okay...?"

"You don't understand... he doesn't understand... and she doesn't understand either! I hate being left out of everything!"

"Jin, please, calm down... Everything will be fine. I never knew that you were so lonely. If you're so affected by it... then why didn't you say something? I would have stayed with you if you wanted me to."

"I tried telling Ragna, but he always said that he had to take care of Saya. It's always Saya this, and Saya that! I can't stand Saya!"

"Jin, please don't say that... Here, how about this? I'll give you this little doll. His name is Pakumen! When you feel alone, Pakumen will be there for you, and you won't feel so alone anymore. And don't forget... I'm here for you too."

* * *

Jin opens his eyes to see a girl that looked to be no older than him, possibly even younger, staring at him, his head in her lap. Some kind of warm sensation flows through his body, and it feels very familiar.

"Who are you...?" Jin asks, not having the strength in him to get up. Instead he decides to look up at the girl. "Is this... healing ars? No, it doesn't have the same feeling to it. Then, what is it? Magic?"

"Please, stay still just a little longer," the girl says.

Jin rests his head back on her lap and thinks back to the events that led him to this. "That's right... I collapsed. How pathetic. And... Nu... dammit... I don't know why I acted so harshly to her..."

His thoughts shift to the girl that is healing him, and he can't help but wonder who she is. "You. Just who the hell are you?"

The girl has a sad look on her face as she responds to his question. "So you don't remember... alright. I'm Celica A. Mercury. It's nice to meet you!"

"I am Jin Kisaragi," Jin says.

"I see that you're finally up, Jin," the man shoots his head up when he hears Tsubaki's voice, starting Celica.

"Ah! Please, don't just shoot up like that! Though, I guess if you're that energetic then you're okay. I'm glad," Celica smiles.

"Tsubaki, what happened? All that I remember is me running out of the restaurant..." Jin asks.

"...Everyone who was in there was worried about you, and the two of us started to give chase. Hazama found us running and decided that he would come to see what was going on," Tsubaki explains.

"Heyo!" Hazama waves his hand, smiling at Jin. "Heard you had some kind of mental breakdown, Jin. What happened?"

"I have no idea whatsoever... all that I know is..." Jin thinks about Nu, and the things he said to her. He wants to slap himself across the face just thinking about what Nu might have felt during that. "Where is Nu?"

The angry look that Tsubaki gives Jin tells him more than what can be said with words alone. She steps to the side to reveal Nu, resting on the railing and staring up into the sky above, absentmindedly swinging her foot back and forth.

Jin moves past the two of them to go to Nu, leaving Hazama and Tsubaki with Celica.

"Terumi..." Celica says. "Do you have any idea what's going on with Jin?"

"I understand that you're worried Celica, but you really shouldn't worry about the man. You see, he has tendencies to snap like the way that he did earlier, or so I've been told by good little Tsubaki here," Hazama says. "But no, I don't have any idea what's wrong with the man, and personally I don't care."

Jin approaches Nu, hoping that she wasn't so mad with him that she doesn't even want to talk to him. He sees Nu look at him out of the corner of her eye but otherwise doesn't turn around to face him. He walks to her side and leans on the railing as well.

'What am I even going to say to her? Sorry I threw you off of me and told you to stay away from me?' Jin asks himself. 'Why do I always have to do this? Why do I always have to throw those who get close to me away?'

"I guess I was right about one thing. I like Hakumen better," Nu interrupts his train of thought. "Hakumen doesn't yell at me for no reason at all. Hakumen was my hero, someone to look up to... Jin isn't like that at all."

"No, I suppose that you're right. Jin Kisaragi is nothing like Hakumen at all. Jin Kisaragi is a prideful man who shuns himself away from anyone who dares get close to him, pushing all that want to be a part of his life away. He also has a tendency to hurt those that are close to him," Jin lets out a long sigh. "Nu, I'll be honest with you. I don't really know the reason why I yelled at you like that back there."

"Oh, because that makes it so much better," Nu rolls her eye. "Jin, you don't have any tact. Like, none. At all. You just say shit without thinking about what you're really saying, and you don't realize that what you say may hurt someone. I don't think getting called a monster sits well with some people."

"I've been experiencing memories that aren't mine. It started when we were at the restaurant, which is why I started to act strange. These memories were of you attacking me, yelling at me. You were saying things like... 'We should kill each other so we can be together forever, and no one can split us apart.' and 'I'm the only one that gets to have you.' I don't know how those memories got into my head..."

"You know, if it was a normal world, then I wouldn't believe one word of what you said," Nu pouts.

"Nu... I don't really know how I'm gonna put this without it sounding awkward..." Jin shifts uncomfortably, trying to find the right position for him. Nu turns her head to look at Jin, and he stares into her eye.

"...Nu, are you in love with me?" Jin asks, trying to think of the right way to say it. Nu does a double take and stares at Jin wide-eyed.

"What kind of question is that!?" Nu yells. She calms down moments later and looks down to the ground below. "Even if I was, what would you do?"

"I'd ask you why," Jin says.

"Before I found out I was a clone of your little sister, I kind of was in love with you. I mean, you gave my life meaning, why wouldn't I be? But, after I found out about me being a clone of Saya, that love kind of died down, and was replaced by a love for my brother. I guess a part of me still loves you like that deep down inside, but I know it's wrong."

"I see. So that is why," Jin looks up into the sky. Nu shuffles herself a little closer to Jin.

"Am I... disgusting?" Nu asks. "I mean, I'm in love with my own brother..."

"Don't speak like you _are_ Saya. You may be a clone, but you have independent thoughts from her. You can make your own choices. To me you are not Saya my younger sister, but Nu my trusted partner. I accept you even if you love me like that, but just remember... Tsubaki and I..." Jin says. He decides to change the subject. "I'm sorry that I snapped at you back there. Like I said before, something had happened. I do not know what it was... but there's a faint memory in the back of my head and I do not remember experiencing that event..."

"Thanks, Jin. I can tell you one thing for sure, though. Tsubaki's gonna have to share," Nu says with a wide smile on her face. "Do you think that was a phenomena intervention, though?"

"I think that's the case, but one cannot be too sure," Jin says. He looks past Nu to where Hazama and the others are and sees Iron Tager approaching Celica. He pushes himself off of the railing and moves over to the group, Nu following very closely behind.

"Ah, Celica... so that's where you were," Tager says.

"Oh, hey Tager," Celica smiles.

"You look a little pale there. Did something happen to you?" Tager asks. He knows that is something happened to Celica it would be disastrous. At the mention of Celica looking pale, Jin notices that Hazama is looking pretty pale as well. Is something wrong with him? It looks like he's trying his best to stay far away from Celica as well, even standing behind Tsubaki.

"No, I'm fine. This is a big town, so I guess I'm just tired from all the walking," Celica explains. Tager nods his head slowly.

"I see. Well, my sensors aren't picking up anything, so the area's fairly safe. Still, you should take care to take the usual precautions," Tager says.

"Yes, I know. Alright, let's go, Tager," Celica says. Hazama waves goodbye to Tsubaki, Nu, and Jin as he walks away with Tager. The two girls that remain turn to Jin and wait for him to say something.

"I suppose that we need to continue our search," Jin says. "However, I think that the better course of action is to go and find Noel."

"Why change who we're looking for all of a sudden?" Tsubaki asks.

"I do not know myself, but going after Ragna right now seems like it's a bad idea. I want to go and get Noel and tell her the same thing," Jin responds.

"You think it's a bad idea, after you were so adamant about going after him in Kagura's office?" Nu asks.

"Yes," Jin nods, turning around and walking the other way. The two girls start to follow him, wondering what was going on with Jin.


	17. Chapter 16

Jin and the others find themselves in an area of Yabiko that looks bright and lively. There are multiple oriental lanterns decorating the buildings, casting a bright light down on the ground so those who pass through this area can see where they're headed.

Heavy rain falls down, preventing them from seeing very far. Jin wishes that there was some way that he could stop the rain for a few seconds, or at least find some way to see through all this rain.

"You think Noel's here?" Nu asks, tapping Jin's shoulder.

"I don't know if the Child of the Azure is here or not. We are merely searching for her right now, after all. If we run into her here, then that's fine. If not, then we move on and continue looking," Jin says.

"It's surprising that you care this much for her, Jin. The Jin that belongs here didn't want anything to do with the girl," Tsubaki notes. "I guess it just goes to show how different the two of you are..."

"The girl has been chosen by the Azure. Say- The Imperator Librarius needs her to reveal the Master Unit to her. Noel Vermillion is the only one that can do this, so I see no other way than take her by force," Jin explains. "However, she needs to will the Master Unit down herself. If she truly does not want to call down the Master Unit, then it will not come."

"I see..." Tsubaki says. She notices something familiar in front of her and squints, trying to see what it is through the rain. She gasps when she sees a familiar figure walking slowly through the streets of Yabiko.

"Is that Noel?" Nu asks, trying to see what Tsubaki was looking at.

"Noel? Noel Vermillion?" Jin calls out to the figure. The person stops in their tracks and turns around, leaning forward to see who was talking. Then, the figure comes running for them.

"Ah, so it is Noel," Jin says. Noel stops running when she's close enough with the three to see them and smiles widely.

"How are you doing?" she asks politely.

"We're... fine, for the most part," Jin responds. "I came to you to tell you something important, Noel."

Jin takes a look around, searching for Makoto. The beastkin is nowhere to be found, which worries him. "Noel? Where is Makoto?"

"Makoto? Oh, no! The two of us got split up while we were moving through the streets, but I'm sure that she's fine!" Noel says.

"One should hope so," Jin sighs. "Well, Noel. I came to tell you that maybe it's not the best of ideas to go after the Dark One now."

"...What are you talking about?" Noel asks. "What do you mean it's not a good idea to go after Ragna!?"

"Noel, do not be difficult. Listen to what I am saying. Ragna the Bloodedge is dangerous. Too dangerous for someone like you to be able to handle. It would be wise to stand down and let the three of us handle this."

"But why, Jin? I want to repay him for all that he's done for me! Can't you just let me do this one, little thing!?" Noel asks, a look of anger that was a very, very rare sight to see on her face. Jin sighs, knowing that this will be a difficult battle of words.

"Child of the Azure, if you are this determined to save Ragna the Bloodedge, then show me this determination of yours," Jin says. "Stand back, Nu, Tsubaki."

"...Jin, what are you planning on doing?" Tsubaki asks.

"I am merely testing Noel Vermillion to see if she has the willpower to go after Ragna or not," Jin says. "I will not harm her."

"Harm me...? What are you talking about?" Noel asks, grabbing Bolverk cautiously.

"Noel Vermilion, cross blades with me and show me how determined you are to find Ragna the Bloodedge. If you cannot overcome a simple obstacle, then you will never find your goal," Jin says.

Jin reaches for Ookami, but sees a container made of ice appear in front of him. He looks into it, wide eyed, wondering what could possibly be inside of it.

"What the hell...?" Jin asks, looking straight at a blade he thought he would never see again. Yukianesa.

"Jin...? What's Yukianesa doing here?" Nu asks.

"I... don't know..." Jin mutters.

"Jin, sir...? Are you alright?" Noel asks, putting her guns down and taking a step toward him in worry. Jin holds his hand up, telling her to stay there.

"Fine, then... I suppose I will use this blade," Jin says, grabbing Yukianesa out of the ice, shattering it. "Noel Vermilion, I expect you to not hold back a single bit on me!"

Noel raises Bolverk again and nods her head, ready to show Jin that she wants to save Ragna.

She's surprised by the three ice blades flying toward her. Jin didn't even move a muscle! Noel ducks underneath one and steps to the side to avoid the others.

"That's right... that sword... I thought that you were him for a second..." Noel says solemnly.

"There is no time for sorrow, Child of the Azure," Jin says, slowly walking toward her. Noel fires a few bullets from Bolverk at Jin in an attempt to stop him. Jin takes Yukianesa out of its sheath and spins the blade around in a circle in front of him. Noel stares at Jin wide eyed when she hears the sound of bullets hitting the floor.

"Child of the Azure, did I not tell you to fight with all your strength? Surely this can't be enough," Jin says, slowly putting Yukianesa in its sheath.

'This is scary...' Noel stares at the man in both awe and fear. This is nothing like the Jin Kisaragi that she knew. Every single movement he makes is carefully calculated. If she fires bullets at him he can merely deflect them with his sword. And she's certain this man will destroy her if she goes up close. How can she defeat him?

"If you will not attack, then I will!" Jin cries out, pulling Yukianesa back. He brings his hand to the hilt of the blade and then slashes forward, releasing the sword. A wave of ice is sent flying toward her and she dodges it easily, but the assault isn't over yet. When she looks up she sees Jin standing right in front of her, causing her to gasp in surprise. Jin swings the hilt of Yukianesa at her and she blocks it with Bolverk. She doesn't expect Jin to grab her arm, however, and is pushed away by Jin.

This time Noel goes for the first attack, transforming Bolverk into a shotgun. Jin raises an eyebrow at this and pushes the gun away from him as Noel begins to pull the trigger. He punches her in the stomach and then kicks her away from him, this time sending a giant blade of ice at her. Noel grabs the ground before she can fall and flips herself over just in time to see the ice blade coming right for her. She jumps to the left and shoots at Jin.

Jin stabs the ground with Yukianesa and creates an ice spike in front of him to block the bullets, and then dashes to Noel, slashing through the spike. As Jin moves closer to Noel, and giant sword falls down in front of him, forcing him to stop. Jin looks at the owner of the sword, surprised that someone would interrupt their fight.

"Hey hey, that's not really nice you know, Hakumen. You can't go beating up Noel like that. After all, she's my woman," the Black Knight himself stands in front of Jin, shooting him a glare that screams "back off". "What are you doing, anyway? Is that really how you treat women? Well, whatever the case this little fight is going to be ending right now."

"I was merely testing her abilities to see if she had what it takes to save the Dark One," Jin explains. "However you perceived it, my attack were not directed to kill her."

"So injuring her makes it better?" Kagura asks.

"I do not think that there are any wounds on the Child of the Azure. Do you see any, Black Knight?" Jin asks.

"...Enough talking aside, I'm bringing all of you in. We have a plan that needs discussion," Kagura says. He turns around to Noel and gives her a charming smile. "Noel, babe, I think it's high time you came back."

"Ah, so you expect me to just drop everything and return? Well, I should hope that whatever you have concocted in that mind of yours is worthy enough to deter me from my task," Jin says, crossing his arms. Tsubaki and Nu walk up to him and stand by his side, ready to go back.

"Trust me, it's worth it," Kagura says. "Now then, let's head back, shall we?"

* * *

Jin walks through the halls of Kagura's office, wondering what Kagura could be talking about. He said that it would take a few hours to get the preparations set, but that only leaves Jin with more questions. What could possibly be going on through that man's mind?

He walks alone, left to his own thoughts.

"Yukianesa suddenly appeared in my hand when I challenged Noel Vermillion... I wonder why it's coming back now, all of a sudden... It's odd, in that distant memory of mine, I remember holding Yukianesa in my hand as well. I wonder what could be going on...?

Out of the corner of his eye he sees Hazama walking through the halls as well. He doesn't seem like he's trying to be sneaky or suspicious. It seems like the man truly wants to defeat the Imperator alongside them. It's surprising, really, considering the things that the man has done before this. Jin had expected that he would be planning to take them out from the inside, but then again, the way that he acted when the Imperator was talking to him did not seem fabricated at all.

"Oh, Jin. It's been a while since we've got some alone time to ourselves, huh?" Hazama notices Jin walking by. He comes up to the man and continues walking alongside him. "Just saw you passing by and couldn't help but say hello."

"What do you want, Terumi?" Jin asks.

"Oh, nothing, nothing, just wanted to know what was going on with the little puppy. You get him yet?" Hazama asks.

"No, I haven't..." Jin says.

"Well, I think I should tell you about what good ol' Kagura's planning. We're a team, right? Well, first off, tell me what you know about Azrael..."

"Azrael!? The Mad Dog, Azrael!?" Jin asks incredulously.

"Yeah, the very same. Kagura's pet cat was talking about how that monster was sent after her, and how she barely escaped him. We're planning a way to deal with him right now, so just be prepared that you might be fighting Azrael soon. Or maybe me? Honestly I have no idea. This plan is still in the works right now," Hazama says.

"Then why tell me about this if you're still planning it? Are you absolutely certain that I will be fighting against Azrael? If I fight against him, without the Susano'o Unit I'm a dead man," Jin says.

"Yes yes, I know. You see, that's where we're drawing a blank. Just thought you should know!" Hazama waves goodbye to Jin as he walks away from him, once again leaving Jin to his thoughts.

"The Mad Dog...? More and more interruptions are coming at me daily! I just want to finish my battle with the Dark One and be done with it!" Jin yells.

* * *

Jin enters Kagura's office to be greeted with Kokonoe, Kagura, and Hazama staring at him.

"Hey there, Jinny! I'm sure Hazama told you about the plan that we have right about now. We did some thinking and we've decided on what we're going to do. Hazama only told you that we have to deal with Azrael, but he didn't say how. I wanted to save that until later. Well, right now is later so I think it's time to tell you. Azrael is a problem that needs to be dealt with, so what we're doing is this: we're setting up a tournament in the Coliseum," Kagura says.

"A tournament? How will that bring the Mad Dog out? You know that he only has interest in opponents that are strong. Just some random person that you found out on the street will not suffice," Jin frowns. In his head the idea sounds very stupid.

"Yeah, well, you're right on that one. Just some random schmuck ain't gonna do," Hazama says. "Which is where a few of you will come in. More importantly, you, Hakumen of the Six Heroes or Jin Kisaragi, the infamous Hero of Ikaruga. But this is also a plan to get Ragna to come, too. Because you, Tsubaki, Noel, and Makoto are all traitors to the NOL, Ragna will most definitely come looking for you. Why not? It's a place where all four of you will be gathered."

"Ah. So that is why you said that you wanted me to go up against the Mad Dog?" Jin asks. "And we'll also get Ragna to come as well, so it's like killing two birds with one stone. I see where you're going with this plan, but what are we going to do about the Imperator's interference?"

"Yeah, that's where Tsubaki is going to come in. Don't forget, Tsubaki has hold of the Izayoi. You know what that thing does more than any of us, actually," Kokonoe says.

"You want to use her? I cannot allow that," Jin says, shaking his head. He doesn't want Tsubaki to be put in harm's way. There has to be another way to prevent the Imperator from interfering.

"Please, just work with us, Jin. We talked it over with her and she agreed," Kagura says.

"Behind my back!?" Jin yells.

"Please, you have to calm down, Jin..." Kokonoe says.

"Hmph. Fine. Go on," Jin says.

"With the Hero of Ikaruga himself fighting in this tournament, along with Nu, the equally as legendary partner as the legendary Hakumen himself competing, this tournament is going to be something that everyone will watch. Even the Master Unit. This is going to be a huge battle, so you'd better be prepared for it, Hakumen," Kokonoe says.

"So, I am the bait?" Jin asks, raising an eyebrow.

"In a sense, yes, you are," Kokonoe says. "There's no doubt that even though Azrael's coming for us, the Azure Grimoire is another one of his priorities."

"And mine's something not so easily taken," Hazama says. "So you know who he's going to go after."

"Me," Nu says.

The girl walks into the room and stands next to Jin, who looks at her, distraught.

"I know what you're gonna say Jin. I'm gonna be fine! I beat Hazama, after all!" Nu says. "Besides... even if that fight was a fluke... I fought the Black Beast with you guys. I know what I'm doing. I'm not some little girl like Noel... I'm a big girl. I can handle myself."

"Nu... I just want you to be safe," Jin says.

"And I will be. So please, don't worry about me. You're only gonna hurt yourself if you keep worrying like that," Nu says.

"So then it's settled. Tomorrow we're going to be fighting for our lives, so you had better bring your A-game, Jin. Use the power that you defeated the Black Beast with, and you'll pull through just fine. Besides, I'm gonna be taking over when Ragna decides to show his face," Kagura says.

"Fine, then," Jin says. "Do you know where Tsubaki is?"

"I really have no idea. She said that she wanted to take a walk around, so I'll bet she's close by," Kagura says. Without a word Jin leaves the office, with Nu following him.

"Oh, Haku my man? After this... we're heading for Kushinada's Lynchpin. I went through hell and back to find it," Hazama says. Jin stops in his tracks and turns back around.

"But the living key to activate it was killed years ago!" Jin yells.

"Hahaha! Well, I guess the blame for that one falls on me, but don't you know who it is? Why, it's Celica A. Mercury!" Hazama says.

"...I see..." Jin nods. "Well, I will be going now."

"We'll be seeing you for dinner, Jinny," Kagura says.

* * *

Jin stands in the basement, deciding that the beautiful view that it provides will be enough to calm him down after the big reveal he just went through. The intense glow of the blue crystals along with the red lights above illuminate the otherwise very dark area. Jin sits down and merely stares at the center.

"Kagura told me that I would be able to find you here."

Jin looks up to see Tsubaki walking into the basement. He looks back to the crystal in the center. "I... suppose that I'm attracted to beautiful sights. You do not seem to find them much in this world anymore."

"I see..." Tsubaki says. "I... I wanted to talk to you about what's going to happen tomorrow."

"Ah. Well, what is it that you wanted to talk about?" Jin asks.

"Aren't you... worried?" Tsubaki asks.

"Worried about Azrael, no. Worried about your well being? Yes. However, there comes a time when you just have to let it go. I know that the plan that they formulated is very risky, but I also know that it is in good hands. There's no reason for us to be scared. Sure, going up against someone like the Mad Dog will be a scary situation, but you won't be the one combating him," Jin says.

"No... I'm not worried about myself, Jin. I'm... I'm worried about you," Tsubaki takes a step forward. Jin stands up and looks at Tsubaki's eyes. It looks like she was crying.

"Tsubaki..."

"Jin... Do you know how painful it was for me to watch my Jin die? At the hands of my best friend, no less? You said that it's best to let things go... do you think that I can let that go? Do you really think that, Jin?" Tsubaki asks.

"I... I don't know the answer that you want," Jin says truthfully, at a loss for words.

"Please, Jin... promise me this: do not let Azrael kill you. Don't die..." Tsubaki says.

"Tsubaki... I can say with certainty that I won't allow someone like him to do me in. You have my word," Jin promises.

"Jin, you don't know how much it hurts..." Jin pulls Tsubaki in as she cries yet again, letting her cry into his chest. "That's why... the thought of losing you makes me so frightened..."

"There's no need for tears right now, Tsubaki... you are a strong woman... Dry your eyes," Jin says.

"Oh, you're right... what am I doing...?" Tsubaki asks, taking off the hat of her outfit as she wipes her tears away.

"Tsubaki, I'll admit. I do worry for myself sometimes. However, I know that there are people counting on me to succeed. I... I cannot let them down. I will not let them down," Jin says. "As both Hakumen _and_ Jin Kisaragi."

"Jin..." Tsubaki moves closer to Jin.

"Tsubaki... I will protect you. Even if I have to give my life to do it," Jin says.

Tsubaki and Jin stare into each others' eyes for what seems like an eternity, and Tsubaki closes her eyes as she moves even closer to Jin. Jin does the same, and eventually their lips lock.

The two stand like that for moments that feel like hours, and finally they break away from each other.

"Jin... I love you..." Tsubaki says.

"Hey you two!" Jin snaps his head to the left to see Nu standing there.

"As much as I'd enjoy watching the two of you rip each others' clothes off, it's time for dinner." Nu says, pointing to the stairs with her thumb. Jin lets go of Tsubaki and the girl smiles sheepishly at him, pushing some hair out of her face.

"Go ahead, Tsubaki. I'll be behind you," Jin says. Tsubaki nods and walks over to the stairs. When Jin sees that she's gone, he turns to Nu.

"So then... when am I getting one of those?" Nu asks with a smirk.

"Maybe one on the cheek," Jin jokes. His expression then takes a more serious turn. "You look like you've been thinking about something, so I want to talk to you about it."

"You know me too well," Nu says. "Yeah, I've been thinking a lot about... well, you and me."

"And...?" Jin asks, wanting her to go on.

"I think I've been wrong... this entire time. I had never gotten to experience something like what I'm feeling for you, Jin, so I had mistaken it for something else. I've never loved before, and I guess I misinterpreted what that feeling was. It's love, I can tell you that much, but not love for you like how Tsubaki does... love for you like how a sister would her brother. I thought about what we talked about last night, and I thought real hard about it. Jin, no matter what kind of loopholes you find in it, I'm your sister, and you're my brother. That's something about the two of us that will never change. I'm not attracted to you at all, like the way Tsubaki is. It's more of a sisterly love than it is that," Nu says.

"I see," Jin says. "I could see it in your eyes when we spoke. You were unsure of yourself about your feelings. I'm... glad that you took the time to search yourself for your answer, Nu."

"I'm hungry... brother," Nu says. "Let's go eat."

"Yes, I'm feeling hungry myself, sister."

* * *

The dining hall of the Library stuns Jin with how beautiful it looks. It just goes to show how powerful Kagura is. He's one of the Duodecim, and he's also the Lord of Ikaruga. Of course the man would have a very, very fancy dining hall. Jin finds the others sitting down at a large table and he decides to go and sit down next to Tsubaki, with Nu sitting on his other side.

"Today's meal was made by Hibiki. His cooking is excellent," Kagura explains.

"Yes, it's always nice to prepare food for people that can appreciate it. Serving food to people who treat it like any other meal is really not that fun," Hibiki says. Jin can tell that it's a sly jab at Kagura.

"You always manage to say just a little teensy bit _too_ much, don't you?" Kagura grimaces.

"This is great!" Noel exclaims.

"I've never really tried out Hibiki's cooking before... this is really, really good!" Makoto chimes in. Jin had been wondering where the beastkin had run off too, getting separated from Noel and all that. He supposes that he'll have to talk to her about it later, just to see if she had done anything important while she was gone. Well, if she did she would have said so by now, he figures.

"Hey Celica, pass me that will you?" Kokonoe asks, pointing to some dish that Jin doesn't know the name of. Celica nods and passes it off to her with a smile, and Kokonoe starts to dig in.

"Wait a second, where's the big guy?" Nu asks, referring to Iron Tager.

"He's having some maintenance done on him, don't worry. He'll be there for some backup for tomorrow for the both of you," Kokonoe says.

"Noel, if you don't eat then it's going to get cold," Tsubaki points out. She sighs as she turns to Jin, beginning to eat her food as well.

"Hey, Tsubaki, you sound pretty weird. Everything alright?" Makoto asks. "Oh, and Noellers, she's right. You can't help out Ragna with an empty stomach."

"Oh, it's nothing Makoto... I've just been swept off my feet..." Tsubaki glances at Jin.

"Oh, brother..." Nu rolls her eye.

"You called?" Jin smiles, turning to Nu.

"It's a figure of speech, lunkhead," Nu says, knocking on Jin's head like it was a piece of wood. "Helloooo? Earth to Jinny?"

"Get your hands off me!" Jin yells. Nu giggles as she turns her attention back to her food. "And I don't need your help for Ragna. I can do it on my own."

"Don't be like that, Majo- I mean Hakume- I mean Jin!" Makoto yells. "We're all in this together!"

"Hey, Terumi, you should try this! It looks really, really good!" Celica exclaims, holding a spoon up and moving it to Hazama.

"Ugh, don't act like we're buddies, Celica," Hazama rolls his eyes. "Besides, I have enough of that on my own plate here, so I don't need yours."

"Oh, you're so cold, Captain Hazama! Why don't you let anyone in?" Makoto asks.

"Trust me Nanaya, if anyone was let in to my thoughts they'd be a mental wreck," Hazama says. "Oh, and I never did get to see that bet seen through, huh? When are you going to do it?"

"Ugh! Will you drop it!?" Makoto yells, causing Hazama and Kagura both to laugh.

Jin puts a smile on his face as he resumes eating his meal, watching out of the corner of his eye as Makoto tries to reach for Hazama. The man pushes his chair back so the girl can't reach him and he tips his fedora at her.

"Mr. Hero, I would never take you for one who smiles," a familiar voice says. Jin looks behind him and sees Rachel standing, there with her two cat familiars behind her.

"The Bloodsucker? When did you get here?" Jin asks.

"Oh great, just what we need, Mrs. Knickers-in-a-knot herself," Hazama groans.

"Silence Terumi lest I teach you a lesson," Rachel warns. Hazama rolls his eyes as he goes back to his meal.

"Man, having a meal with others really does taste better, doesn't it?" Kagura asks, amused at the scene before him. "By the way, who are you?"

"Isn't it proper etiquette for you to introduce yourself first?" Rachel asks.

"Oh, it is? Even though you're in my home, eating my food? I'm Kagura Mutsuki, head of the Mutsuki family. You can call me Kagura," he says.

"My name is Rachel Alucard," Rachel says.

"Oh, so you're _the_ Rachel Alucard? I heard rumors about you. You're much more beautiful than I was led to belie- ah, sorry... I kinda have a bad habit of letting my thoughts slip," Kagura says.

"You seem to have an eye for beauty. You should cherish that quality, Kagura. It is a pleasure to meet you. You may call me Rachel," Rachel says.

"The man tries to get points and he always succeeds... something about that just... angers me," Hazama comments.

"Oh, chill out! You can have my points if you want, Snakey!" Nu says.

"Eh, what the hell, I'll give you some of mine, too," Makoto says.

"Oh, girls... you just warm my heart! I've been... I've been moved to tears..." Hazama fakes crying, wiping his eye even though nothing is there.

"If you give your 'points' to a man such as Terumi, I cannot guarantee your safety," Jin says.

"Jeez, way to ruin a touchy moment, Jin," Hazama shoots a glare his way.

Kagura clears his throat to get everyone's attention, and when everyone looks his way, begins to speak.

"I'll explain the plan for tomorrow so everyone knows," he says. "Tomorrow the gladiator tournament will take place, and we made sure to advertise that two of the Six Heroes and the Hero of Ikaruga himself will be fighting in there. The goal is to lure out Azrael. I'll go over the specifics when we're there, but for now don't lose till you get to Azrael, alright Jin?"

"If I would lose to anyone, it would be going back on a promise that I made to someone," Jin says.

"Well, alright then. Hazama, Noel, Nu... you guys shouldn't come to the tournament. When the right time comes, we'll meet up at the Coliseum. But until then, you'll be on standby here."

"What...? Why!? I wanna watch!" Nu yells.

"Listen babe, Ragna's going to be there to confirm that Jin's there. If anything he's the one that Ragna wants the most. If the guy sees any of you there, it'll screw things up," Kagura says. "Now, as for Ragna himself, after the tournament is over, he'll come for Jin, guaranteed. The guy has some kind of grudge with him. Some kind of sausage fest that I'll never understand, I guess. When he does, that's all you Kokonoe."

"When Ragna comes to go and fight Jin himself, that'll be in the arena plaza. Once Ragna enters, Tager will start the device engine at full power and form the barrier, so Hazama, Noel, Makoto, you three wait in the plaza. After the barrier is formed, the plaza will become an Eclipse Field, so the outside world will be completely unable to use interference. We're also going to use Tsubaki's Izayoi for a safeguard. Of course, you won't be able to use it from within either. Only you guys are gonna know if the situation changes. I'll leave it to you to make your own decisions from the inside, okay?" Kokonoe explains.

"You mentioned me not going to the tournament, Colonel Mutsuki. Would you care to explain as to why?" Hazama asks.

"Because... you know the grudge that Ragna has against you. We need those kinds of feelings- the feelings of Ragna himself- to pull through. That's why Makoto shouldn't go in there and fight, either. You understand how terrifying the Imperator's curse is, seeing as though you've been her right hand man for quite some time. At this rate, he'll be pulled in to the Imperator's side, and his spirit is gonna be destroyed," Kagura explains. "That's why we have to pull back his heart from the side of the Imperator. You know how strongly that man feels about you, don't you, Yuki Terumi? What we need are strong feelings to pull him back from the Imperator's curse. Luck is on our side. We have the Power of Order, the Successor of the Azure, and two of the Six Heroes on our side."

"So I'm not gonna be much of a help at all..." Makoto says. "Well, I kind of figured. I'm not really that big into this Ragna the Bloodedge guy anyway. Hell, I don't even know what the heck this guy looks like!"

"Remember, this is a tug of war between you four and the Imperator. But, the rope is Ragna's heart. You know what happens when one side pulls way to strongly? The rope snaps. Don't let Ragna's heart snap."

"No, Colonel Mutsuki. While I'd love nothing more than to grind that asshole's face in with my foot, he feels contempt for me. He doesn't care about me. He cares about Nu, Noel, and Jin. They're his family," Hazama says. "Let me fight Azrael, and let Jin stay behind with Nu and Noel."

"Hmm... now that you put it that way, you're making a point, Hazama. He cares about his family more than he'd care about some guy that essentially ruined his life. Alright, so then you're the bait for Azrael. You know what that means, right?" Kagura asks.

"Yes, I do. Don't worry, I'm not gonna lose to some brute like him," Hazama says.

"Then it's settled," Kagura nods.

* * *

"Nu. Noel. Come here."

Jin's voice catches the two off guard as they walk through the halls at night. They turn around to see Jin standing there with an unreadable look on his face.

"What's the matter Major Kisaragi- I mean Jin?" Noel asks.

"If you're gonna tell us that you're gonna do it alone, I'm beating the ever-loving shit out of you," Nu threatens.

"It's hard for me to swallow, but I feel that we should work as a team on this. We're not all going to be attacking him at once, however," Jin says.

"What? I thought that we were going to be fighting him at the same time?" Noel asks.

"Yeah, that's actually what I was thinking too. Why do you think we should go in order?" Nu asks.

"However strong the man seems, seeing his little brother die before him and the spitting image of his little sister as well has made the man's will weak. If we all go at him at the same time, we'll crush him spiritually," Jin says.

"I see... so what order should we go in?" Noel asks.

"You will go first, Noel. Then Nu, and then me," Jin says. "Noel as strong as you may be, you are no match for the BlazBlue that Ragna possesses. Push him to his limits until he has to activate it. That's when Nu will switch with you. She too has the BlazBlue and she can handle Ragna with it. When Nu needs it, she will switch out with me. That's where the fun begins..."

"I understand," Noel says.

"Well if you both understand we should go to bed. Goodnight, and good luck for tomorrow," Jin says.

"Thank you, Major Kisaragi!" Noel bows, before remembering that it isn't actually Major Kisaragi. "I mean, Jin!"

"I suppose it will take a long time for you to get adjusted to," Jin says, walking away.

"Where the hell are you going, Jin? We sleep together, remember? Wait for me!" Nu yells, running to his side. "Good night, Noel!"

"Good night, Nu!" Noel waves.

They all go back to their respective rooms, ready for tomorrow.


	18. Chapter 17

"Jin! Hey, Jin! Something's wrong with Noel!"

Jin wakes up abruptly to Makoto barging into his room, grabbing him by the collar. He looks around, dazed from the confusion, and then pushes Makoto off of him.

"What are you talking about, Nanaya!? Don't put your hands on me!" Jin yells.

"Noel's in trouble?" Nu asks groggily. Makoto nods her head rapidly and runs out the door. Jin looks to Nu, and the girl nods her head, already able to tell what Jin was thinking.

He jumps out of his bed and puts on his uniform, rushing out along with Nu, who hurriedly puts her bodysuit on. When the two reach the outside hall they're treated to the sight of Makoto and Celica standing at the door to Noel's room. They're banging on it so hard that it would be impossible for the girl not to hear it. Has she been kidnapped? No, there's no way that something could just come in here right underneath their noses.

"Noel Vermillion!" Jin yells, also banging on the door along with the other two. He gives up after a few very hard knocks, growling in frustration. "Dammit, this door isn't opening! What the hell is going on here!?"

"Noel, answer us!" Makoto yells.

"Move out of the way!" Kagura yells, pushing past everyone and slamming his giant sword into the door, only for it to bounce off. "What the hell's with this thing!?"

"This is pretty bad. The room's dimensional fabric has been coated. It's impervious to intervention from the outside," Kokonoe notes, putting a hand on her chin, starting to think about what she could do to open the door.

"What do you mean 'coated'?" Nu asks.

"It's a little hard to explain... well, the easiest way I can put this is that its 'time' is out of sync. Another 'space' has been born, and it can't be intervened upon from here! How could another space have been created inside of my barrier...? What in the world happened!?" Kokonoe asks.

"There's no time for thinking about it. Right now we need to do something about the door," Jin says.

"It's impossible. Unless Noel consciously returns to this side the door isn't gonna open," Kokonoe says.

"Noel, listen to your big sister! You open this door right now!" Nu yells. That seemed to have done the trick, because right afterwards the group hears Noel's voice.

"I... can't!?" Noel yells.

Afterwards, a loud shriek coupled with an insane laugh can he heard within. "Azure... Azure... hehehehe... Gonna eat! I'll eat it! Hehehehe!"

"Huh...? What!? No! I can't move!" Noel's voice shouts.

"Azure. It's high quality Azure. Take me Azure abyss... Kehe... hehehehe!"

"HEEEEEELP!" Noel screams.

"AZURE! AZURE! AzureAzureAzureAzureAzure!"

"Ah! J-Jin... Brother! Save me Brother!" Noel's voice yells.

Jin's eyes widen and he takes Ookami from its sheath, slashing the door wide open without thinking about it. It falls to the ground and Jin charges in along with Nu and the others, only to see Noel's room decorated in webs, along with Noel being trapped by some kind of creature made out of black.

"Is that... seithr...?" Nu asks.

The blob turns around and looks right at Celica, and then shrieks. "My bodyyyyyyyyy!"

The creature starts to run away, and Makoto turns her attention to Noel. "Noel, are you okay? Say something, girl!"

"Is that Roy!? Goddammit! So that's how my defenses were breached!" Kokonoe yells.

"You! You did this to Noel! I'll kill you. You stupid living puddle of tar... I'll murder you! You bastard! Don't think that you can leave this place alive!" Kagura yells, chasing after the blob of seithr.

Jin pushes Kagura to the side and takes Ookami out of its sheath, charging for the blob of seither. He chases it through the Library, eventually finding himself in the basement where he and Tsubaki had talked. He raises Ookami into the air and it begins to glow a faint green.

"Disappear!" Jin yells out, slamming Ookami down and letting a Summer's Advance out. The blob of seithr cackles as it throws itself up into the air, merging into the ceiling. As the wave of energy crashes into part of the basement, completely wrecking it, Jin swears.

"I shouldn't have let my emotions get the best of me... But..." Jin looks down to the ground, remembering something that Nu had cried out to him while they were fighting the Black Beast.

 _"Help me! Brother...! Brother, save me!"_

"I... let myself get too defensive... just like that time where I tried to save Nu from the Beast..." Jin says.

"God _damn_ ," Kagura whistles. "I guess you weren't one of the Six Heroes for nothing."

"Kagura... I am truly sorry for what I did to your basement," Jin says.

"Hey hey, it's no problem. If anything I woulda done the same," Kagura says. As the others who were in Noel's room approach, Kagura turns to them. "Is Noel okay?"

"Yes, she is. Makoto and Tsubaki are with her right now. She's sleeping," Celica explains.

"This is my fault... I allowed him in..." Kokonoe says.

"Wait, you let the guy in?" Kagura asks.

"You cannot criticize Kokonoe here. It certainly could have been her fault, but it's still arguable that it wasn't. And some of the fault lies with me and my own ineptitude as well," Rachel says. The girl appears out of nowhere, startling Jin.

"What a time to get the hell out of here, shitty vampire," Hazama says. "You missed the show!"

"Terumi, Rachel is likely the one who brought Noel back to this side. So don't get on her case like that," Kokonoe says, shooting a glare at Hazama.

"If we don't know what caused this then we can't take any measures to prevent this in the future," Kagura says.

"You're right... Right now, in this NOL branch, I have a barrier up that mechanically amplifies my Observation. It's not a perfect defense, but it protects against the Imperator's intervention to some extent," Kokonoe explains. "The way my Observation is organized is based on my memory, and I have to set it up so that all of you, who are inside my barrier, can move around freely. It's also set up to reject any intrusion from outsiders- anyone outside my Observation. Roy... I mean, Arakune... he's an exception."

"You mean that's the name of that puddle of tar?" Kagura asks.

"Yes. He's able to intrude in my barrier," Kokonoe says.

"Does he have some kind of special power, then?" Nu asks.

"The one who keeps him in this world, and who acknowledges and Observes him... is me," Kokonoe says.

"...I see," Jin nods. "And if I'm right it is impossible to stop Observing someone once you start."

Hazama clears his throat and then looks at Kokonoe. "Kokonoe, you should get to work on setting up some new kind of defense so that disgusting failure doesn't get in."

"I know, I know," Kokonoe says. "I don't need you getting on my case about it."

"Well, I'll be going. Some last minute touches. You should... you should go and see Noel," Kagura says, looking at Nu and Jin.

Jin nods and brings Nu with him upstairs, putting Ookami back in its sheath.

* * *

"Noel, are you okay? What happened to you?" Jin asks. Noel's sitting down on the bed in her room, not able to sleep at all. Jin sits down next to her as she looks up at him.

"...Something... something really, really bad happened, that's all that I can understand. I was... in Kagutsuchi, in my head. Rachel told me that it was a space that I created, and then she asked me what I was going to do to save Ragna. I said that I needed the power to save him, and then all of a sudden... my real self appeared in front of me. I fought with her and then I became her... after that, we heard Ragna's voice. He was laughing at me... Rachel told me to run, and I wound up at the Cauldron in Kagutsuchi. Ragna appeared in front of me then and then started talking about how I was a doll and that I wouldn't be able to save anything... and then all of a sudden, Nu... you appeared in front of me. But you were acting weird... mechanical," Noel explains. "You were saying something about synchronization..."

"I don't remember ever talking about that. Noel, I don't think it was _me_ who was there..." Nu says. "Jin, you don't think..."

"Just like before... that distant memory of mine about you..." Jin says.

"Something must be wrong," Nu says. "But is that it, Noel?"

"Yeah, that's about it... I barely defeated her and then I woke up to see that... that thing!" Noel says.

"Hey, Noel... don't get scared," Nu says. "Look, how about this? I'll give you something that always kept me calm when I got scared at nights. My big brother gave it to me and it's really special to me, so I'll give it to you."

"Why would you give it to me if it's so important to you?" Noel asks.

"Because that's the only kind of gift worth giving!" Nu says. "Well, here he is."

The girl fumbles around with her cape and Jin notices something fall out of it. He takes a closer look and then stares at Nu in disbelief.

"You hid it in your cape this whole time?" Jin asks.

Nu picks up a little doll and nods her head, handing it over to Noel. "This is Pakumen. He's my favorite doll so you'd better take care of him."

Noel smiles at Nu as she takes it, and then looks at the doll. It has a little patch of blue hair coming out of the top of its head, with a little tiny sword behind it that looks very similar to the sword on Jin's back. Written on the stomach of the doll is "ZEA".

Noel lets out a little squeal as she hugs the doll tightly. "Oh my gosh, it's so cute! Thanks, Nu!"

Jin stares at the doll with a 'I'm dead inside' look on his face. He knows exactly what this doll is, and that's the reason why he gave it to Nu. He originally got it from the Sister who took care of him and his family in that church, and he passed it off to Nu while she was still in her childish state of mind, and she had taken care of it ever since. The girl still had an attachment to it, and her giving it to Noel surprises him.

Noel even cuddles up with the doll, laying down in her bed with it.

"Hey, Jin? Why did you react like that when Noel called out for her brother?" Nu asks, turning to Jin. The man merely smiles at the girl, ruffling her hair. Nu smiles at Jin. The man hasn't done that to her in years.

"You'd know that answer better than me, Nu," Jin responds.

"Oh, yeah... you're right about that one," Nu nods.

"I thought that I should stop by and see how everything's holding up around here. Seems to be pretty okay."

Hazama stands in the doorway, staring at Noel. He takes a look around and makes a disgusted noise. "Yuck... that stupid puddle of seithr was never the cleanest of things, you know. The thing always had bugs and other kinds of nasty shit in it. Well, glad you drove it away, though if you weren't acting out of impulse you woulda killed it, ya know."

"Do not remind me of my mistake, Terumi," Hakumen says.

"Does it looks like I am?" Hazama smirks. "Aaanyway, how's the Eye doing?"

"Please, don't refer to me like that..." Noel says, sitting up in bed and putting the doll Nu gave her underneath the covers.

"Alright then. Noel. How are you feeling, Noel?" Hazama asks. "Any troubles?"

"Um... No... I'm fine," Noel says. The man may be on her side, but she can't help but think that he's really, really scary. She honestly prefers him when he's not being polite.

"Good. We wouldn't want anything happening to you, now would we?" Hazama asks, turning around to leave.

"Hazama, wait!" Noel yells. Hazama slowly turns around and raises his eyebrows. What could the girl possibly want with him? "Um... tomorrow... please don't die... I heard that this Azrael person is a nightmare..."

"You think I'd lose to some brute like him? Noel, I'm happy that you're concerned about me but at least give me some credit here. Anyway, I'll be going now. I'll be seeing you all tomorrow," Hazama says, turning around and leaving the room.

* * *

"What a shoddily thrown together arena," Hazama comments as he walks in to the arena. Countless people have filled the rafters, all here to see the Captain of the Intelligence Department himself duke it out with some random people, and then Azrael. Hazama can tell the main event of all of this is the fight with Azrael, and that's why everyone is here. The arena is huge. It reminds Hazama of the top of the Library in Kagutsuchi, where he had his fight with Ragna and Nu. This thing might even be bigger than that.

As the announcer's voice fills the arena, he can feel the unrest in the crowd. They wanted to see some fighting, and they wanted to see it now.

"Ladies and Gentlemen all across the world, it's time for the moment that you've all been waiting for! Today has finally arrived! Let the battles begin! Today's event is a gladiator tournament organized by the NOL! Who will defeat the Captain of the Intelligence Department, Hazama, and take home the prize money!? We've gathered 130 fierce competitors from all over the world, and they will be battling it out for the largest sum of prize money for a gladiator tournament in history! How much, you ask!? Why, A whopping 100,000,000 Platinum Dollars!" the announcer yells.

Hazama does a double take at two things the man said. First, he has to make his way through 130 people!? Second, 100,000,000 Platinum Dollars!? The entire crowd is in awe at the sheer amount of money that was at stake.

"Yes, that's right! And now, please welcome your head chief, Kagura Mutsuki!" the crowd goes wild hearing that man's name. As Kagura walks out into the arena the announce continues his introduction. "He's the man voted Most Desirable as a Lover, Most Desirable as a Father, Most Desirable as a Teacher, and Most Likely to be a Pretty Good Guy!"

"Most Likely to be a Pretty Good Guy? Come on, what is this? A wankfest for the man?" Hazama asks.

"Hey now, some of that stuff's pretty personal... though, if there's any ladies out there that want to come and try me, you're welcome to," Kagura says. Immediately the swooning of hundreds of women in the stands can be heard.

"And now... here he is! The man who has been working together with Kagura to maintain the peace of Ikaruga and also a very skilled fighter himself, Captain Hazama!" the announcer yells out. Hazama takes that as his cue to walk out onto the battleground and he smirks as everyone cheers for him. "This man has done many for the NOL! He's been sent out on the most dangerous of spying missions and has even tracked down multiple criminals with ease!"

"Can they shut up?" Hazama asks Kagura. The man turns around and gives Hazama a smirk.

"Yeaaaah... I hope you don't mind the fact that I told them a few little white lies about you," Kagura says.

"A little? More like you just blatantly gave the misinformation about me," Hazama says. "Well, some of it _is_ true..."

"Colonel Mutsuki."

Kagura turns to see none other than Ragna the Bloodedge himself standing there, giving him an emotionless stare.

"Oh, Ragna! You came. Or, should I say Captain Ragna now?" Kagura asks.

"I would like to congratulate you on the capture of the traitors to the NOL. The Imperator is going to be happy," Ragna says.

"Don't sweat it," Kagura says.

"I'm impressed that you managed to take all of them down. And you even captured Jin's subordinate too," Ragna's cold stare is completely unlike him, Hazama notes.

"What can I say? I've got great men," Kagura says.

"Terumi..." Hazama turns around and greets Ragna with a smug face. "Never would I think that we would be on the same side."

"I wouldn't have imagined it myself. This world has a funny way of working, doesn't it? _Ragna the Bloodedge_?"

"We may be part of the same team here, but that won't stop me from kicking your shit in," Ragna growls.

"I don't think Saya'd like that, would she?" Hazama taunts.

"Ahh...!" Ragna clutches his head, in obvious pain from Hazama's words. Kagura glares at Hazama and then turns his attention to Ragna.

"Hey man, pull yourself together. You alright?" he asks. Ragna stands up straight again and clears his mind.

"It's nothing... Just a small headache. Do your best you there, Terumi," Ragna says. "Anyway, I'm going to where you're keeping the traitors."

When Ragna leaves, Kagura turns to Hazama again.

"Nice job there... I see what you did," Kagura says. "Kokonoe? How are things going on your end?"

"The space formation is coming along fine. I'm getting even better readings than expected for the focal point, too. Looks like this is a popular tournament. Then again, with all those lies you told them about Terumi and how he's going to be fighting with all these people..." Kokonoe says.

"Ragna left, just as we had hoped for. The fact that he doesn't want to watch the fight is a little concerning, but Hazama proved to me that there's a little bit of his consciousness left. Go tell them that there's still some hope," Kagura says.

"And now, let the qualifiers begin!" the announcer's voice booms.

"I thought that I was going to be fighting all of them," Hazama says.

"You seriously thought that?" Kagura asks.

"Don't forget who I am, Colonel Mutsuki," Hazama reminds.

"Gii, prepare me some tea. This will be a most enjoyable tournament."

Hazama gets scared by the sudden appearance of Rachel and adjusts his hat, glaring at the girl. "You shitty vampire... is it your job to scare the shit out of everyone that you come across? Why not save it for Halloween? Why are you even here, anyway? I thought you would be too high and mighty for something like this."

"Well, it's not every day that I get to see multiple people go up against the infamous Yuki Terumi. I would simply adore to watch him get beaten to a pulp," Rachel says.

"Oh, and we're supposed to be allies?" Hazama asks, venom laced in his voice.

"It looks like Bob will not be competing in this qualifier match! In his place will be a substitute contestant!" the voice of the announcer cries out. Out of the gates, a buff man with blue hair walks out. He doesn't completely wear his jacket, rather letting it hang on his shoulders. Other than that, the man wears completely white. Hazama knows his face from anywhere. If he was a normal person it would be enough to strike fear into him.

"His name is... A... A... AZRAEL!?"

"And here's the Mad Dog! I've been waiting for him!" Kagura announces. He takes out his cell phone and calls someone. "Hey, this is...? Yeah, send the competitors to the waiting room! And take all of the medical staff with you!"

"Who could have guessed that Azrael, the Genocider of the Ikaruga Civil War, would join the tournament? This is quite a development, folks!"

"Alright, then it's time?" Hazama asks Kagura.

"Wait a sec... Kokonoe, what's your status?" Kagura asks, talking into the transceiver that Kokonoe gave him.

"No, it's taking some time to get some fixed coordinates," Kokonoe says.

"What is the cat planning on doing?" Hazama asks.

"Defeating him would be difficult, even for me or you. That's why we're going to use a machine to forcibly teleport him into a dimensional jail. You understand what we're talking about, right?" Kagura asks. Hazama nods, completely understanding. "Let's hope that whoever's fighting him's made their will."

"Dammit Tager! It says that the output is unstable! I can't get a fixed coordinate. What are you doing? Calm the hell down!" Kokonoe yells.

"I'm sorry, Kokonoe... But what is this sense of irritation?" Tager's voice asks.

"Dammit! Is this thing ready yet, Kokonoe!?" Kagura asks hurriedly.

"No, no! Not yet! Just wait a little longer!" Kokonoe says.

"I don't think waiting anymore is an option here," Hazama says. "See ya."

"What the hell!?" Kagura yells, watching as Hazama jumps down into the ring, right in front of the contestant that was unlucky enough to fight with Azrael.

"Oh, what a surprise! Hazama jumps down into the ring and barges into the match! Are we about to see a fight break out between these two!?" the announcer yells.

"Captain Hazama of the NOL? Or, should I say Yuki Terumi of the Six Heroes? Which do you prefer?" Azrael asks.

"Hazama's preferred right now," Hazama smirks.

"You know, I was here since Kagura Mutsuki was so kind enough to invite me here, but I guess you can satisfy me until it's my turn to fight with him!" Azrael laughs.

Hazama turns his head to the girl standing behind him and points to the gates behind him. "Get out of here now, unless you want to die."

The girl nods her head and runs off.

"Terumi!" Kokonoe yells. "You're just about as reckless as Ragna! If you're gonna do that then buy us five minutes, got it?"

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Mad Dog," Hazama says, turning his attention back to Azrael. "Now we can begin."

"It's fine, 'Hazama'. I'm done chewing on that toy. Besides, one of the Six Heroes himself came down to greet me, so I must respect that," Azrael says. "This is splendid! I'll feed on you, and then the Black Knight Kagura not long afterwards. I'm positively ecstatic! I've never seen a better feeding ground than here!"

"You just keep on barking, mutt," Hazama warns, taking his knives out of his coat.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, please evacuate! It's too dangerous!" the announcer yells. Hazama looks at the crowd begin to run and he smirks once more.

"Looks like we're going to be enjoying this alone? Oh well, I don't care. We don't need any senseless deaths now, do we? That'd just be... messy," Hazama says.

"Hang on a sec... I'll be right back," Kagura says to Rachel. He walks down into the underground of the Coliseum, leaving Rachel to watch as Hazama fights the Mad Dog himself.

"Now then... what will you do, Terumi?" Rachel asks. "I'm rather interested in your development..."

* * *

"I'm cold."

Jin sighs. "Are you going to stop whining?"

Nu shoots a glare at him, and is about to say something, but Kagura interrupts. He comes down to meet the three and then smiles at them. "Alright, you're up. Plan hasn't changed. Wait at the Coliseum square."

"Roger!" Noel yells, saluting Kagura.

"How long is the barrier going to last?" Jin asks.

"Well, with the Izayoi, this thing could very well last forever, but I would give it, at most, about five hours," Kokonoe says.

"Five hours, got it," Jin says. "We'll act like the time limit is five hours, we don't want to risk this."

"Right!" Nu and Noel nod their heads.

"I'm gonna go pick up Ragna. In 20 minutes, we'll commence the operation," Kagura says. "Hopefully we can do this all in the time it takes for Hazama to fight Azrael... I know that man's ridiculously powerful, but I don't think even he can stand up to Azrael that long."

"He's fighting Azrael right now!?" Jin asks.

"I really don't know whether or not they're fighting or not. For all we know they could still be spitting insults at one another. Please, don't worry about that guy. He's gonna be fine," Kagura says.

"Well, alright," Noel nods. "I just hope that Hazama will be okay..."

"Why are you so concerned about him? Look at what the man has done to you, Noel!" Jin says, staring at Noel, unable to think of a reason why she would support Hazama.

"Because... I'm thankful that he _did_ do those things... because then I would never get the chance to be the real me. I would always be running from the truth," Noel says, holding her hand to her chest. "And besides... he saved me... both of you... That's why I don't want to see him die. I don't want to see other people die in front of me..."

"I see..." Jin nods. "Well, while we wait we mind as well go over the plan one more time. Noel, what are you going to do?"

"I'll make Ragna have to activate his BlazBlue, and then I'm going to sub Nu in," Noel says. Jin nods and turns his gaze to Nu.

"I'm gonna fight him, and when I'm forced to use my BlazBlue I'll sub you in, Jin," Nu says. "Because I'm strong enough to be able to fight Ragna with his BlazBlue on without me using it, because the Idea Engine hasn't been tested out yet and there's no point in just hurting myself if it goes bad."

"Yes, that's right. And then I'll take care of things from there," Jin says.

"What... exactly... are you going to do?" Nu asks.

"I can't tell you," Jin says, smiling. "It's a secret."

* * *

"Kagura, where the hell are they?" Ragna asks, grabbing the man by the collar and shoving him into the wall. Kagura flinches in pain at first, but then smirks at the man.

"Hey hey, what's with the nastiness, Ragna my man?" Kagura asks. "I was just about to come down and tell you that I sent them upstairs. They're waiting for you to show up there. You know, in the other arena? The secret one."

"Really, now? And you expect me to believe that? If you're hiding them from me, you're gonna get your ass beat," Ragna warns.

"Hmph, I had heard that you were pretty abrasive, but I wasn't expecting this. Are you sure you're fit to be a Captain? Besides, I'm a Colonel. You gotta do as I say, right? Here," Kagura takes a letter out of his coat pocket and hands it to Ragna.

The man puts Kagura down and brings the letter in front of his face. It has the Imperator's seal on it. Ragna wastes no time in taking the letter out of the envelope and he opens it up.

'Ragna, you will put your trust into Kagura Mutsuki. He is a Colonel and you are a mere Captain. Do you not know how rankings work?' the letter reads. Ragna shakes his head at the words on the paper and puts the letter back into the envelope, passing it back to Kagura.

"The Imperator is always one to joke around with me. If she's telling me to trust you, then I have to trust you. Alright, just lead the way then," Ragna says. Kagrua smiles and then motions for Ragna to follow him upstairs.

'Don't you screw this up...' he thinks to himself, as if his thoughts would be able to reach the three. 'And you too, Hazama...'

* * *

"Never in a million years would I think that there was a second arena in this already huge Coliseum. Though... I don't see them anywhere..." Ragna says, looking around. The second arena looks exactly like the first one, however it's smaller in size.

Ragna continues to search for the three, and immediately feels a strange sensation wash over him. He sees as the world around him transforms into some kind of battlefield that you would see in a video game.

"A barrier...? No, this is the Izayoi," Ragna notes. "Then, looks like those rumors were true. However..."

Jin, Nu, and Noel walk up to meet Ragna. Nu and Noel have worried looks on their faces, but Jin is as stoic as ever.

"Looks like a mutiny turned into a rebellion right before my eyes," Ragna finishes.

"You're pretty calm, Ragna," Nu says.

"Oh no. I'm actually pretty friggin' surprised that Major Kisaragi himself is serving Colonel Mutsuki's cause," Ragna says.

'...Major Kisaragi...?' Jin thinks to himself.

"So you know...? I... I wasn't expecting you to come alone, though..." Noel says.

"Are you kidding me? I can handle the two of you with ease," Ragna says, referring to Nu and Noel.

"With ease? Wow, really high expectations you've got for me, little Raggy. Forget that I have an Azure Grimoire?" Nu asks. She takes careful note of Ragna's eye twitch at the end of her sentence.

"So what are you here for? To take me down? If you didn't forget, Prime Field Device, I have an Azure Grimoire myself," Ragna says. "The Imperator doesn't like rebellions. We'll find you, and we'll put an end to you. Maybe even send our little pet at the Wings of Justice after you."

"Don't refer to Tsubaki like that!" Noel shouts, grabbing Bolverk. "It's time to start!"

"Jin, let's get out of here," Nu grabs Jin and pulls back, watching as Noel points her guns at Ragna. It seems as though mentioning Tsubaki in such a way made Noel angry.

"Ragna... do you remember the time when we first met?" Noel asks. Ragna stops in his tracks, still pulling Bloodscythe out.

"What are you talking about?" he asks. "Do not speak. Just die."

Ragna kicks a Dead Spike out of the ground and it goes flying to Noel. Jin's eyes widen watching that happen. He doesn't remember that attack being able to travel a distance other than right in front of Ragna. This could get messy if he has more tricks like this.

Noel jumps above it and shoots at Ragna. The man brings up Bloodscythe and blocks all of the gunfire with the side of his blade. As Noel lands he charges at her, his fist surrounded by a purple glow. Noel isn't able to dodge in time and Ragna follows up with another punch that sends her flying away.

"Gauntlet Hades!" Ragna yells, flipping over Noel as she gets up off of the ground. Noel ducks underneath of his kick just in time to be able to counterattack. She smacks him with her gun, sending him down to the ground. Noel slides down and kicks him up into the air, only for her to kick him back down again with an axe kick.

Ragna gets up and tries to block the next attack, but with her next kick she overpowers his sword and kicks him right in the chest. Ragna growls at her and grabs her by the shoulder, sliding down her arm and pulling her toward him. Noel's eyes widen as her head collides with his fist, and she's knocked down to the ground.

Ragna picks her up by the throat and then punches her in the stomach. Noel lurches over and stumbles back, not ready for another attack.

"Ra...gna..." Noel chokes out. Ragna stops and his eyes widen, as if he remembered something. He looks at Noel with a cold glare.

"What?" Ragna asks.

"Don't you remember...? 'I just thought we could talk for a while?'" Noel asks.

Ragna clutches his head in pain and Noel looks at the man, alarmed at what just happened.

 _"Now what?"_

 _"No, it's nothing... I just... thought that we could talk for a while..."_

"Why...? Would I waste my breath... talking to a traitor!" Ragna struggles, clearing his mind once more. "Dammit... I don't have the time to waste on you!"

"Here it comes, Noel!" Nu yells. Noel nods and then runs away, swapping places with Noel.

"Are you mocking me? You running cause you're a coward? Alright then. I'm not gonna let vermin like you get away. Restriction 666 Released. Dimensional Interference Field deployed. Now engaging the Idea Engine. BlazBlue..."

"Murakumo Unit..."

"ACTIVATE!"

In a flash, Nu activates her armor and Ragna activates his BlazBlue. There's no time spent waiting around. As soon as both were activated the two combatants charge at one another, immediately clashing blades. Nu smiles at Ragna as he struggles to push back all eight of her blades.

"Ragna... been a long time, huh?" Nu asks.

"Nu... you bitch!" Ragna yells.

Jin smiles as Nu pushes Ragna away from her, sending two blades to slash at him. Ragna deflects one but can't get the other in time. He takes a blow to his side and puts Bloodscythe on the ground. He kicks up another Dead Spike aimed to hit Nu as she charges at him, but she can see the attack before it even comes out. She dodges to the side and kicks Ragna in the face, spinning him around. As he spins she sweeps at his feet with her swords, sending him down onto the ground.

As Ragna gets up Nu stomps on the hand reaching out to Bloodscythe, being careful that the blade attached to her leg doesn't cut through his arm. Ragna growls and surprises Nu by raising his arm up, her foot not being able to keep it down. Her leg is thrown off him and he grabs Bloodscythe, slashing her across the stomach as he gets up.

"Goddammit you're strong..." Nu says. "Alright Nu remember the plan... switch with Jin when you feel the need to use the BlazBlue..."

"Talking to yourself?" Ragna asks. Nu's swords instinctively fly up to block an attack from Ragna and Nu propels herself away from the man. She throws her arm out and an orange sword pops out of a small portal in front of her. Ragna effortlessly dodges the sword but Nu throws her arm up to summon another one.

Ragna is taken by surprise and feels the sword go through his arm, interrupting the sword slash he was about to make as he fell down. Before Ragna can hit the ground Nu dashes toward at such a fast pace that he can't even see it. Ragna's eyes widen as Nu punches him in the face, sending him skidding across the floor.

"Alright, you wanna play that way then fine," Ragna says, wiping some blood off his mouth as he stands up. "Carnage..." Ragna dashes towards Nu using Bloodscythe to make him go faster. Nu jumps over the attack and does a backflip. When Ragna turns around to face her he's met with her sticking her tongue out at him, causing him to growl in rage and attempt to hit her again. Nu's body moves quickly to the side and she gently flips over, hovering just above the air.

"Aww... is somebody in a bad mood?" Nu asks. Ragna grips his head once more, remembering something else that felt more like a distant memory than anything else.

 _"Well, somebody's in a bad mood... Is it because we didn't talk last time? Today we're fine, though! I have a body that I can talk with."_

 _"I told you to SHUT. UP."_

 _"Aw... aren't you happy, Ragna...?"_

 _"SHUT UP! That face... that voice... Don't you dare talk to me like that! I'm here to destroy you and that's all there is to it! There's nothing we need to talk about!"_

"Shut up... shut up! That face and that voice... don't you DARE talk to me like that!" Ragna yells, the arm that holds the Grimoire turning into a claw. Nu attempts to dodge it but is caught by one of the talons. Ragna wraps the entire claw around her and hoists her up into the air as waves of darkness start hitting her left and right.

"Nu!" Jin yells along with Noel. Jin shakes his head and then mentally curses himself. He can't lose his composure like that! And besides, she's been through much worse than that.

The claw explodes around Nu and she's sent flying toward Jin. The man catches her midair and then sets her down gently, smiling at the girl.

"You did good, Nu. Now let me step in," Jin says. Nu only nods as she lies down on the ground.

"Oh God... Saya..." Ragna looks at Nu's bleeding body. "No... what have I done...!? Nnnngh...!"

Ragna once again gains his composure, only to see an all too familiar figure standing there, looking at him. Ragna's eyes fill with rage.

"JIN!" the man runs to his brother, leaping into the air and swinging his blade down. Jin dodges the attack, pulling out Yukianesa, and trades blows with another swipe from Ragna. Afterwards, their blades meet, Ragna staring daggers into Jin's eyes.

Jin merely looks down at his brother, his cold eyes sending a chill down Ragna's spine. He remembers that look.

 _"Jin you bastard! I'll never forgive you!"_

"Jin you bastard! You're alive!" Ragna yells.

 _"Ahahaha! Brother! I'm so glad that we're finally able to meet after all these years! I've waited for this moment, you know! I've been_ dying _to KILL you again!"_

"Brother! I'm so happy we've finally reunited! I've waited for this, you know! I've been DYING to kill you!" Jin has an ecstatic look on his face, and Nu and Noel stare at the man wide eyed. "I've dreamed of this day for so long, and now that it's come, I'm simply beside myself!"

 _"Tch... your fantasies suck, Jin."_

"Your sick fantasies suck, Jin! Look... I've got a bunch of questions that need answering. But first... FIRST! I'm gonna kick the everlovin' shit outta you."

"Oh, Brother... you'll have to do better than that! Wouldn't you rather KILL me instead? If you don't wanna see my guts at a pile at your feet then we're not operating at the same level of hatred here! And that wouldn't be fair..." Jin's psychotic grin scares Nu and Noel, the two girls staring at him with wide eyes. "After all... It's all I can do not to cut you to ribbons where you stand!"

"Try it asshole. I don't even know why I wasted my breath talking to you. Let's see if I can knock any sense into that thick skull of yours!" Ragna yells.

Jin throws his head back and laughs as the two separate from one another. "AHAHAHA! That's the ticket! Let's kill each other! Over and over and over again!"


	19. Chapter 18

The sound of clashing blades could be heard all throughout the sealed space of the Izayoi. Nu and Noel can only stare at the two combatants as their blades clash over and over and over again, without any signs of stopping.

"Why is Jin acting like this?" Nu asks. "There's gotta be some reason why he's acting all crazy..."

"I don't know myself..." Noel says. "He was so calm just a second ago, but now he's going absolutely insane... do you hear him? He's laughing..."

"Ahahaha! Brother, tell me that's not all that you have!" Jin cries out, blocking a blow from Ragna while delivering one of his own. He feels the blade go right down Ragna's shoulder, satisfied that he got such a good hit in.

"How the hell are you so strong...?" Ragna barks, punching Jin's shoulder. The other man doesn't feel a thing and continues his relentless assault on his brother.

"Brother, don't let that scum control you!" Jin calls out. "Do you hear me, Imperator Librarius!? Let your hands off of my brother this instant!"

"What are you talking about...? The Imperator's hands aren't on me at all. I'm not being controlled by her at all. I serve the will of the Imperator. Whatever she says, I do. She tells me to jump, I jump. She tells me to die, I die!" Ragna yells, slashing at Jin. He attempts to block the attack but Ragna breaks through his guard with ease. Jin grunts in pain as Bloodscythe slices his chest.

"That's the spirit, Brother!" Jin cries out as he creates three blades of ice above him. The ice swords shoot to Ragna and the man jumps over them, transforming his sword into a scythe. Jin watches at the scythe comes down on him and jumps back just in time for it to hit the ground.

"Die," Jin says, forming a platform of ice below his feet. The ice propels itself towards Ragna and the man can't react in time. The ice platform pierces his stomach and Jin jumps off of it, slashing him across the top of his shoulder.

Ragna grabs Jin by the arm as he lands and throws him down onto his knee. Then, he picks Jin up by the throat and then throws him away from him. Jin can see Ragna slash the ground with his sword, kicking up another Dead Spike. Jin remembers that his Dead Spike can travel further than it used to, and reaches out, slashing the ground below him horizontally as he lands. Ice shoots up from where he slashed and protects him against the Dead Spike that was sent his way, Jin taking careful note that it became bigger.

Could this be the effect of his BlazBlue? Or is this part of the Imperator's control? She could be amplifying his attacks so he can take care of all of them and get on with whatever the man's supposed to be doing.

As the two stare at each other, Jin decides to try and appeal to Ragna once more.

"Brother, remember the time that we first fought? The time in the Librarium in Kagutsuchi!? Wasn't that such fun!? Where's that raw emotion and raw power, Brother!?" Jin asks, still managing to keep the twinge of insanity in his voice. "Because right now I'm only feeling just a fraction of what you could be doing."

"Shut the hell up, Jin!" Ragna roars, charging at him once again. Jin parries a slash from Bloodscythe and decks Ragna in the jaw in retaliation. Ragna grabs his jaw in pain and backs away from Jin, who only laughs at him in response.

"Didn't I tell you before we started? If you hold back even just a little bit of that hatred, then I'm gonna kill you easily! And that's just not fun. Or, is that trash that we both call a sister still controlling you? Go ahead, be honest, Brother! You can tell your brother the truth, right?" Jin asks, preparing for another slash. "Right!?"

Ragna feels Yukianesa rip into his shoulder and he cries out once more in pain. Though, it doesn't look like it was Yukianesa that caused him this pain. Ragna clutches his head and doubles over, screaming in pain.

Then, he stands up straight, a perfectly calm look on his face.

"Trash...? The Imperator Librarius is anything but trash, Major Kisaragi," Ragna says in a tone that sounds odd coupled with his voice. Jin stares at his brother cautiously. Has something happened to him? "If you continue to say such things about the Imperator I will have no choice but to cut you down where you stand."

Jin feels that he isn't talking to his brother anymore, so much as he is talking to the Imperator herself. He puts Yukianesa's hilt at his side and stares into Ragna's eyes. They're both red, as opposed to one being red and the other being green. Is this a sign that the Imperator has taken over? He hasn't noticed it yet until now.

"Brother... give me back my brother!" Jin exclaims, charging at Ragna's body. His attack is effortlessly blocked. Ragna stares into Jin's eyes for a moment while their blades are together and smiles at him.

"Jin Kisaragi, for your sins I will deliver justice onto you," Ragna says. Jin and Ragna throw themselves away from one another and Jin shakes his head, laughing.

"Then, Brother, what is your justice? Tell me," Jin asks.

"Such a foolish question, Jin. The Imperator is justice. Peace is a society that the Imperator herself rules! That is the truth that will reveal lies and guide this horrible world into an new era!"

Jin notices a transparent shadow of the Imperator standing, no, floating next to Ragna. Can the others see her, or is it just him? Whatever the case, he knows that he isn't talking to Ragna anymore.

"The Imperator will lead us? The Imperator is neither good nor evil. That worthless trash's very existence will mean the death of us all," Jin says. "What is the value in a symbol of worthlessness? How will death lead us to peace?"

Ragna then clutches his head once more. Jin's hard expression softens for just a split second. That poor, poor man. He is completely torn between the two opposing forces. His will, and the Imperator's.

"Jin... help me..." he hears Ragna say. Jin realizes then that there is hope left for him yet. There's still a chance of saving him!

"Hmph. You sure do know how to talk, Power of Order. Insolence is unnecessary for my system and is met with death. Very well, I shall show you the meaning of worthless," Ragna says. He begins to struggle once more as he chokes one last sentence out. "Major Jin Kisaragi... for your crimes against the Library... I will... judge... KILL you!"

'Ragna...' Noel stares at the sight before her teary-eyed. The man is fighting so hard, she can tell.

"Jin... please... you have to... save me!" Ragna cries out.

"So this is the Mind Eater curse itself. I have seen it used before, but never dealt with one who has been afflicted by it. It seems as though the Imperator herself is speaking in Ragna's place at times. Very well. I have no more words to speak to a mere shadow," Jin notes. He inhales and then shouts out.

"Saya! Do not think that our brother is so weak that he will surrender to you completely! Ragna, if you can hear my voice, then I implore you, fight back!"

At Jin's plea, Ragna charges at him once again. Jin dodges to the left and aims a punch at Ragna's stomach, only catching his arm instead. Ragna whirls around and kicks Jin in the side. The blonde can feel the sheer force backing the leg. What power!

As the two are once again staring each other down, Jin decides that this isn't going to be as easy as he once thought it would have been. The power of the BlazBlue is something that he will have difficulty overcoming without his Susano'o Unit.

"But I can't back down now. I will save you... brother..." Jin says, tightening his grip on Yukianesa.

"Rrraaagh!" Jin charges at his brother, ready for whatever he may throw at him.

* * *

"Your power is impressive, Six Heroes!" Azrael notes, separating himself from Hazama. The other man smirks at the Mad Dog and tips his hat toward him.

"I must say, you're quite strong yourself, Mad Dog. I've only heard about your power in stories that I've heard while working. Never would I think I would get the pleasure to experience it on my own," Hazama says.

"Enough with the pleasantries, let's keep going! I'm not satisfied yet!" Azrael exclaims, a mass of red energy flowing from his arm. Hazama ducks underneath the punch and slashes Azrael up the stomach with his knives. The man shows no signs of stopping his assault, however, and kicks Hazama. The sheer force of the blow knocks the wind out of him and he doesn't have time to avoid the piece of ground that Azrael picked up.

Hazama throws his arms up just in time to at least cushion the impact, though it still hurt immensely. The tales of him weren't kidding. This man has terrifying strength. He smiles, knowing that at the distance that he's at right now he can start using his chains to their full potential. He throws out one and it wraps around Azrael, the man not expecting the attack.

"What is this!?" Azrael demands. Not only was it uncomfortable to be wrapped up in these chains, it felt like something was sapping away at him. But what was it? What could it be?

"Why, it's my weapon. My Nox Nyctores. You didn't think I wouldn't have one, I hope," Hazama says.

"Ah, how foolish of me to forget about that. This only entertains me more, Hazama! You have so many tricks up your sleeve... this is the most fun that I've had in ages!" Azrael exclaims. He starts struggling against the chains and miraculously breaks free from them, much to Hazama's surprise. "But... you're going to have to do better than that if you want to keep me down."

"Ah, you'll have to forgive me. I never thought about your brute strength. Maybe that's all you got, huh? I mean, let's be honest, there's not much up in that brain of yours, is there?" Hazama asks, looking behind Azrael and smiling.

"What do you mean?" Azrael asks cautiously, and then feels a searing pain in his back. He cries out in pain, something that Hazama takes enjoyment in causing, and turns around to see another chain, only this time the snake head at the end has bitten him. "When did you...?!"

Hazama pulls the hand he hid behind his back out and with it, waves to the Mad Dog. Azrael notices the dark green chain coming out of it and curses himself for not being able to see what he was doing.

"While you were talking about how strong I was... oh, and thank you for that. I know, I really am strong aren't I? Help the ego, y'know? Anyway, while you were talking, I decided that I'd slip a chain behind you. You didn't even notice, you dumbass!" Hazama laughs.

"You're a sneaky one, aren't you?" Azrael asks, pulling the snake out of him. He throws it down onto the ground and stomps on it, making sure to grind it underneath his foot. "Hmph, for one of the Six Heroes you sure do play dirty. That doesn't matter, though. We're still having some good ol' fun..."

Azrael walks toward Hazama with a devilish smile on his face, grinding his fist into his hand. Hazama smiles at him and takes off his hat, bowing at the man. He puts it back on and adjusts it.

"You must excuse me. I'm not much of a fighter myself..." Hazama says. "However..."

Azrael stops when he sees green flames surround Hazama. These flames contain such a menacing aura, that even Kagura, who's watching from the sidelines, begins to shiver.

"What in the hell...?" Kagura asks. He just returns to find this? What's going on between the two of them? He watches as Hazama's fedora flies off of his head, landing perfectly in Kagura's hands. He doesn't question it, only turning back to watch Hazama.

"I am!"

His shirt is buttoned down enough to expose part of his chest and his tie is loosened, hanging around his neck. His green hair stands up on end, almost like he's been electrocuted.

Kagura's eyes widen. The man's body is the exact same, but the lazy way that he stands and the fact that his eyes are wide open tell him that whoever the person in front of him is, it's not Hazama.

"Come on, you lunkhead! I'll play with you for a while!" Terumi taunts, watching as Azrael smirks at him.

"So you finally decide to show yourself, Yuki Terumi? This will be interesting indeed..." Azrael says. "Very well then."

The tattoos on Azrael's body begin to glow a very dark red, and Terumi stops to watch him, wondering what the man could be doing. "You should feel lucky, Yuki Terumi! You are one of the rare opponents that's been able to see me like this! Enchant Dragunov... level 2, release!"

Azrael's body begins to glow completely red for a split second, and then reverts back to normal, though some of the tattoos the man has are gone.

"Hah... so sorry to keep you waiting. This is Enchant Dragunov... it acts as a limiter on my body, because if I let my whole strength out, then everything around me would just die, and that's not fun. You understand, right? Now then... let's take it from the top!" Azrael explains.

Terumi smirks at Azrael and notes that the man does seem to be more powerful than before now. This could be getting interesting for him. Terumi leans down to the ground, staring right into Azrael's eyes.

"Make sure you do your part... and scream for me," Terumi says, the two men running toward each other. Terumi hangs one of his butterfly knives low to the ground, dragging it across the rocks. The look on his face is that of a serial killer chasing after his prey.

Azrael punches at Terumi, but the man blocks the attack with his arm and kicks Azrael in the knee. The tall man is sent down to the ground and Terumi wastes no time to get on top of him and start stomping on his face. After he's satisfied, he kicks Azrael away from him. The Mad Dog grabs the ground and adjusts himself so that he doesn't slide across the ground.

Terumi comes in for more and Azrael pushes Terumi's hand away before a knife can stab into his arm. He blocks another knife coming at him and headbutts Terumi, catching the psycho off guard.

Azrael lifts his leg up into the air and slams it down on Terumi, causing him to fall down to the ground. Azrael leaps into the air and is about to land on Terumi, but he rolls out of the way. As Azrael lands on the ground a small amount of the ground is kicked up and hits Terumi right in the face.

"How's it feel to have all that power, big guy?" Terumi asks. "Isn't it addicting? The ability to just _crush_ whoever wants to get in your way?"

"Hah! I think you misunderstand me, Terumi. I am not here for a conversation, I'm here for a fight. And you're gonna give me the fight that you owe me, whether you like it or not," Azrael says.

"Hmph... yeah, yeah, keep yapping," Terumi smirks, jumping back to avoid a kick from Azrael. He throws his hands out and green energy shoots out of it. Azrael attempts to dodge it but it manages to catch his shoulder, sending a stinging pain throughout this body.

This only excites Azrael more, as the man has been looking forward to a fight like this for ages. This is the greatest way to satisfy him, and if Terumi kept on hitting him like this it would only fuel his excitement more.

Terumi backs away from another punch directed at him and takes out one of his knives, slashing Azrael's forearm with it. Terumi notes the fact that even though he sees blood coming out of it Azrael hasn't stopped yet.

The psychopath kicks Azrael as he turns around and green energy envelops them as he starts rapidly kicking Azrael, ending it by kicking him away from him. Azrael lands on the ground to see a light green ball in front of his face. Terumi slams his hand into Azrael's face and throws him up in the air, wrapping him in chains and then bringing him down.

As Azrael gets to his feet he grabs Terumi by the leg and flips him over his body, slamming him into the ground. The sheer power of the throw causes Terumi to bounce off of the ground. Azrael's hands begin to glow a bright orange as he punches Terumi, yelling, "Tiger!"

Terumi sees Azrael's foot begin to glow the same color as his hands and Azrael kicks him in the chin, this time yelling, "Cobra!"

The green haired man makes an attempt to block Azrael's arm coming at him, but the man catches him by the neck and sends him flying, finishing it with, "Leopard!"

Terumi's body skids across the ground, and just as he gets up he sees Azrael in a crouched position, pulling his fist back. "Black Hawk..."

Terumi decides that whatever could come from this, won't be good, so he slams his hand to the ground, a green glow appearing around it.

As Azrael charges toward Terumi yelling "Stinger!", Terumi quickly pulls up his hand, causing an arc of green to appear in front of him. The thin green line soon morphs into a larger one and Azrael is caught in the attack. The energy pulls him toward Terumi and the man kicks his foot out, catching Azrael's face.

"Ahahaha!" Terumi laughs. "Looks like you're not all that, Mad Dog!"

Azrael gets up off of the floor and smirks at Terumi, only laughing in response to the man's taunt. "This is the most fun I've had in a long, long time! Have a taste of this, Yuki Terumi!"

Azrael does a circular motion with his hands and stabs Terumi in the stomach with his hand. As soon as Terumi feels the hand connect, he feels completely different than he was just seconds ago. For some odd reason, he wasn't feeling that well. What could be causing this?

He takes a look around and decides that Celica isn't anywhere near him, so he doesn't know what could possibly be wrong with him.

"What did you do to me!?" Terumi yells as Azrael starts laughing madly.

"Your life's in my hands, now," Azrael states as he immediately stops laughing, putting on a serious face.

"Terumi! Just hold him off for another minute!" he hears Kokonoe's voice yell. Terumi dodges one of Azrael's punches and catches the other, throwing Azrael away from him.

"Just what the hell are you planning to do you damned cat?!" Terumi asks hurriedly, trying his best to get out of the way of Azrael's moves. He has a funny feeling that whatever's going to hit him next is not going to be pretty.

Meanwhile, at the seats of the Coliseum, Kagura and Rachel watch the match go on in anticipation, but for completely different reasons. Rachel, to see what Terumi will do in this kind of situation, and Kagura, in awe of how Terumi is able to keep up with Azrael.

"It's like they're on equal ground..." Kagura says. "Is Yuki Terumi really that strong?"

"Why, yes he is," Rachel says. "But this Azrael fellow... he does not seem to be letting his full strength out just yet. The man, though his strength is ferocious, is still holding back."

"Terumi, now!" Kokonoe exclaims. "I just need you to hold him in place for a little bit! Your chains, grabbing him, whatever!"

"What's wrong, Terumi? Come at me?" Azrael asks, stopping right after Terumi stops. The man stops at least a little bit too soon for Terumi's tastes. This man is a bloodthirsty monster, so why wouldn't he keep on attacking?

Unless... there's a reason for him not attacking.

When he saw the man fighting that other girl that was getting beaten up, he noticed that he wasn't the one who was attacking...

"Ah, I get it now," Terumi thinks aloud. He scoops up the torn fedora on the ground and puts it back on his head, but not before combing his hair back down to make it flat.

"You can't really fight someone who doesn't wanna fight, can you?" Hazama asks, walking up to the man with his hands in his pockets. He buttons his shirt up and then reties his tie, staring right into Azrael's eyes. Though the man towers over him, Hazama isn't afraid for even a second. His serpentine, yellow eyes bore holes into Azrael as the other man stares at him with anger clear in his eyes. "You're limited to only fighting people who have a fighting spirit. So that's why whenever I stopped attacking, you stopped attacking. It's also probably the reason that you _wanted_ me to attack you."

"Damn you!" Azrael yells. The man found out his secret within this little amount of time that they were fighting? How could he!?

"This whole time I was the one attacking you, and you were retaliating in response. It was my 'fighting spirit' that allowed you to attack me," Hazama explains. "All in all, the only real way to defeat you is to just stop attacking, and, well, see? I've won. I've beaten you, big guy."

"What is the meaning of this, Yuki Terumi!?" Azrael exclaims.

"Check," Hazama reaches his hand up to Azrael's nose, and then flicks it, like someone would a dog. "Mate."

"Gah! Ng... what the hell!? What is this?!" Azrael asks, a horrible feeling coming over him. It feels like he's getting pulled away by something, but he can't tell what.

"Oh, what's the matter little puppy? You came here knowing it was a trap, right? Or are you just so stupid that you can't even think right?" Hazama asks, adjusting his tie.

"I swear... I will.. get my revenge!" Azrael yells as he's teleported away to who knows where. Hazama starts laughing-no, cackling as he spreads his arms out wide.

"Revenge!? Oh, revenge! That reminds me of a certain bitch that needs to get her ass spanked like the naughty little girl she is!" Hazama cries out. "Now that this is over... Imperator Librarius! I'm coming for you, so you'd better watch your back! AHAHAHAHAHAAAA!"

* * *

Jin blocks a slash from Ragna and counters with one of his own, catching Ragna's stomach this time. The man cries out in pain, but continues his assault on his brother. Ragna stabs the ground with his sword and kicks up another Dead Spike right in front of Jin.

The man jumps into the air to avoid it and then slashes down at Ragna, creating a small amount of ice at the tip of his blade to extend the range of Yukianesa. It can't go that far, but it's enough to manage to scrape Ragna's cheek.

Jin lands on the floor and then grabs Ragna's fist as he punches it at him. Jin begins to use ars magus to freeze Ragna's hand, but the man punches Jin with his other arm and knocks him away from him.

"Why so cold, Brother?" Jin asks with a smirk. Ragna rolls his eyes at Jin and continues to attack him, this time jumping into the air and kicking Jin across the face. He lands and then punches Jin twice in the stomach, ending with a wave of darkness that knocks him away.

Jin catches himself before he hits the ground and then holds Yukianesa out, behind him. He slashes forward and creates a wave of ice, shooting it toward Ragna. The man throws another Dead Spike at Jin, attempting to use it to swallow the wave whole. The ice wave only freezes the Dead Spike, still coming toward Ragna.

"Brother, don't tell me that you expected that measly attack to get you out of this!?" Jin asks, sounding almost offended by Ragna's attempt at stopping his attack. "You're disappointing me, Brother. What happened to that ferocity that you had? What happened to it..." As Jin speaks, he creates a bow and shoots multiple arrows out of it, exclaiming, "Brother?!"

Ragna's eyes widen at the arrows coming at him and slashes one apart with his sword, trying his best to dodge the others and prevent them from hitting him. He's not successful with all of them, however, and is sent flying away from Jin. The man smirks as he creates another ice platform and rides it all the way to Ragna, jumping off of it and kicking Ragna in the face as he gets up.

"Goddamn you, Jin!" Ragna cries out, grabbing Jin as he lands on the ground. He throws his brother up into the air and then kicks him in the stomach. He raises his elbow above Jin's head and slams it down, sending Jin back down to the ground.

As Ragna approaches him to follow up his attack, Jin gets up from the ground and creates a pillar of ice right below Ragna's feet. The man is shot up into the air and Jin creates a bow once more, this time loading it with more arrows. He fires them at Ragna with a twisted expression on his face. As the ice pillar comes down, Ragna attempts to dodge the arrows, but one of them catches him in the shoulder. He yelps out in pain as he falls down to the ground making a solid _thud_.

"You bastard!" Ragna shouts, getting up and using his hands to create more darkness. He throws his hands up and down, sending multiple waves of darkness at Jin. The blonde slashes wildly with Yukianesa, producing waves of ice to counter the waves of darkness. The two keep this up for a while before Jin tires out, the dark waves colliding with his body, knocking him off his feet.

He stays on the ground to catch his breath, but Ragna isn't going to allow that. The man slowly, threateningly, walks up to Jin and picks him up off the ground by the face.

"This is gonna hurt, you bitch," Ragna says, punching Jin in the stomach repeatedly. Jin cries out in pain every time his fist connects, and Ragna kicks him away after he's done. Jin falls back to the floor and this time Ragna takes his sword and raises it above Jin.

Jin's eyes widen as the sword comes down. He moves his head to the left and the sword only grazes his ear. Ragna takes the sword out of the ground and then raises it up once more, this time aiming for Jin's stomach. In retaliation, Jin raises his own sword and throws it at Ragna. The sword stabs into Ragna's arm and even goes through it. Ragna cries out in pain, dropping Bloodscythe on Jin. Jin picks it up and throws it back to Ragna, grabbing Yukianesa out of Ragna's arm, making sure he tore it out in such a way that it would sting.

The two stand a distance away, staring each other down with coldness in their eyes. The two feel nothing but resentment towards each other, and this stare down makes it more than apparent to Noel and Nu.

"Oh, Jin..." Noel says, not able to watch. She turns her head away and puts her arm up so she's only able to see Nu's body. The other girl merely stares at the fight, motionless. Noel can't tell what the girl's thinking right now.

'Do it, Jin,' Nu thinks, feeling nothing but belief in her brother.

Jin and Ragna both point their blades at one another and Jin can't help but smile.

"Brother... let's end this, once and for all," Jin says.

"This is it, Jin Kisaragi. Prepare for your death," Ragna agrees, nodding his head as he readies himself to charge. Jin gets in a similar position.

The two begin to run at each other as Jin puts Yukianesa back into its sheath.

"Ragna, I cannot help you, but I can reach my hand out to you! Take it, Ragna! Take it and pull yourself through this!" Jin exclaims.

The two approach ever closer to each other.

"Hahahahaha! You are going to become worthless here. Your will shall disappear into nothingness," Ragna says.

As the two finally draw near, Ragna's face becomes as twisted as Jin's.

"NOW YOU DIE, JIN KISARAGI!"

All that Noel and Nu hear is the sound of a blade cutting someone's flesh.

"JIIIIIIN!" Noel cries out.

Bloodscythe lands on the ground in front of Nu, and she looks above it to see Ragna's startled figure.

Behind him, Jin puts Yukianesa back in its sheath.

Ragna slumps over and then falls to the floor with a sickening thud.

The field that the Izayoi created falters, the area around them fading back to the Coliseum. Jin looks to the rafters where he sees Tsubaki stand up. The girl had been hiding behind the rafters so Ragna wouldn't see her. She decides that now isn't the time to go and meet the three.

* * *

Ragna's eyes open to reveal to him a vast plane of darkness. He can see nothing.

"I see... so this is the darkness in my heart. The darkness that I kept ignoring..." Ragna says.

"Ragna... do not look away. Do not become like how I was," he hears.

"Where are you!?" Ragna yells, looking around frantically. "That's right... I fought Nu, and Noel, and... Jin. What... what even happened...?"

He remembers what his teacher said about the Power of Order, what Jin has.

 _"The Power of Order is the power of one's will. If one's strong enough, then it'll even cast aside phenomena intervention like it's nothin'."_

"Jin... he used the Power of Order to will me back... He believed in me, and was willing to give his own life to save me... it was stronger... than Saya's spell," Ragna says to himself. "I guess I can't deny feeling it... my strong ties to my family... that's what brought me back, wasn't it? I want to go back. I want to protect them..."

Ragna begins to see light shining in front of him. He goes to the light and walks into it, leaving the darkness behind.

* * *

Jin watches as Ragna's body begins to move on the floor. The man grips the floor and struggles to stand. He falls back onto the ground, and decides that he'll just sit instead. It's too painful to stand. He looks up at one person and one person only. Jin.

"Jin... it's you," Ragna says.

"So you are back, then," Jin says.

"Let's... let's leave the two alone," Nu suggests, pulling Noel away from the two men.

"Thank you... Jin..." Ragna says. Jin kneels on the ground, watching as tears fall from his brother's eyes.

"You don't know how lost I was when I saw him die right in front of my eyes..." Ragna says. "It was just shitty moment after shitty moment, and that one topped it off real good... I just... I didn't know what to think, I just didn't know what to feel anymore..."

"Ragna..." Jin begins.

"The world came crashing down on me... I didn't know what i was going to do afterwards... the only thing that was left in my mind after that was hatred, hatred, and more hatred. Saya came to me then... at the same place that we grew up in. She placed that stupid Mind Eater curse on me... I was weak... I couldn't fight back on her. I was broken... it must have been easy for her to do it to me," Ragna sobs.

"Stand up. The Ragna that I know would have never let his little brother see him cry," Jin says, standing up and holding his hand out for Ragna. The man takes it and Jin pulls him up to meet him.

"Dry your tears, Ragna the Bloodedge," Jin says, looking down to the ground, letting his hair fall in front of his eyes.

"How ironic... usually you were the one crying, and look at me now... I'm the crybaby, and you're the one telling me to stop," Ragna laughs emptily. He looks at Noel and his expression softens. "Noel... I'm sorry. We never got that chance to talk."

"I don't care about that anymore, Ragna..." Noel wipes her eyes. "I don't... I don't care..."

Nu grabs hold of Noel and pulls her in, giving her little sister a hug as Noel starts crying into her shoulder.

"Damn... if you ever want a soap opera, you've come to the right place..." Hazama notes as he walks in with Rachel and Kagura behind him. Celica is with them, much to Hazama's disdain. Ragna feels like he's seen the Celica girl somewhere, but he doesn't have time for those questions now.

"What the hell are you doing here, Terumi?" Ragna asks.

"Weellll, I just got done fighting against that goddamn Mad Dog..." Hazama says. "My suit's ruined, too. Dammit. Now, if you'll excuse me, since Celica's here I'm getting out of here."

"That's so mean, Hazama!" Celica exclaims as Hazama stands at a "safe" distance away from her. She turns to Ragna and smiles. "Hi, Ragna. I'm Celica. Celica A. Mercury."

"Hi, Celica... I guess you already know my name," Ragna says. "It's nice to meet you. Uh, as you can see, I'm a little cut up right now, but that's no deal."

Ragna tries to move his right arm to point to Jin, but he finds out soon enough that it can't even so much as move, only twitch. "What the hell? What's going on? Why can't I move my arm?"

"Ragna, you're hurt! Jin, you too! Here, let me heal you!" Celica exclaims, grabbing Jin and Ragna and pulling them close to her. Jin shuts his eyes and shakes his head as he feels her healing magic closes up his wounds. Ragna, however, is surprised completely.

"What the hell!? Healing magic? Are you a witch?" Ragna asks.

"Huh...? Uh... we've only just met, can we save the tough questions for later...? Haha...?" Celica laughs nervously.

After Celica heals Ragna and Jin, she moves on to Nu and Noel, seeing that they're hurt as well. She attempts to move close to Hazama to heal him, but Hazama running away from her tells her that he's just fine.

Ragna takes note of Rachel and frowns. "What are you doing here, Rabbit?"

"Well, it seems that you have broken free of your little curse. A shame. I had liked seeing you act loyal for once," Rachel says. "Anyways, I have come here because this seems like a good time for the moment of truth. Ragna, are you prepared to face the gravity of your decision?"

"Prepared? What do you mean, I was ready for- wait, what are we talking about here?" Ragna asks, stopping when he realizes that once again he has no idea what Rachel is talking about.

"The decision to 'know'. The moment you 'know' your future will be decided for you," Rachel says.

"You know, I'm the kinda guy who likes to think that I make my own fate, but more and more I'm feeling like it's been chosen for me," Ragna lets out a sigh. "Anyway, there's a lot that I have no clue about right now, and if what you're gonna say will enlighten me, then I'm all ears."

"Very well, Ragna. If you wish to 'know', then I will be your guide. To the beginning. To 'Zero'," Rachel says. "Tomorrow, bring Celica and Noel with you to the ruins of Ibukido, and seek the Cauldron at the lowest level. I will give you the details once we're there. For now, it is time to rest."

Everyone begins to leave the Coliseum. Nu finds Jin and starts to walk at his side with Tsubaki as well. Nu takes a look at Jin and then sees something she thought she would never see on his face.

"Jin...? Are those... tears...?" Nu asks.

Jin shakes his head. "I'm sweating."

"...You know, sometimes I think that the really tough guys aren't the ones that hide their feelings, but the ones that aren't afraid to show them," Nu says. "You... you did great out there, Jin."

"Thank you... Nu..." Jin says, a faint smile on his face. As they walk out, he wipes the tears from his eyes.


	20. Chapter 19

"Jin."

The sound of his brother's voice makes Jin turn around. Jin stares at his brother as he walks up to him with an annoyed look on his face. The two stand in the center of the hallway in the Librarium.

"What could you possibly want with me, Dark One?" Jin asks.

"So it was an act? When you were acting like the Jin that belongs here?" Ragna asks. "Why?"

Jin looks down to the ground. He was expecting Ragna to come to him for answers, but not this soon. He was actually trying to get himself prepared to answer the onslaught of questions that were going to be asked of him.

"It was all to bring you back from the Imperator's control. Though I would have been more satisfied with ending you right there when I had the chance," Jin says, shaking his head so that his hair would get out of his face.

"Then why didn't you?" Ragna asks. "If you want to kill me so bad... if you want to purge the world of the evil that I am, _Hakumen_ , then why didn't you kill me when you had the perfect opportunity to?"

"Because we need your BlazBlue," Jin says.

"Why? Nu's got one that works better than mine! Terumi himself said that she's more experienced with it than me! Something's telling me that's not the real reason you brought me back instead of killed me," Ragna says. "So I'm not gonna stop asking you until you give me a straight answer, Jin. Why the hell did you let me live?"

"Why did I let you live? Simple. Nu cares for you. After all, she's Saya," Jin says. "The same goes for the Child of the Azure."

"No, she's not Saya, she's not Noel or anyone else! She is Nu!" Ragna yells.

"It looks as though conversing with you is as useless as ever. If that's all that you have to say to me, then I will take my leave, Dark One," Jin says.

"No, you're not going anywhere," Ragna grabs Jin by the shoulder and spins the man around to face him once more. Jin scowls at his brother and glares at him with his icy cold eyes. "Now what is the truth?"

"I told you the truth. Nu cares for you too much," Jin says.

"Why does Nu matter so much to you!? You act like the girl doesn't even exist half the time I've seen you with her! What is she, just a tool to you? I doubt that's how she'd like to be seen, asshole. Why don't you stop being such a judgmental prick and-" Ragna is cut off by Jin punching him in the face. Ragna falls to the ground and looks up at Jin, whose fists are balled up.

"You know _nothing_ ," Jin growls. "So if I were you, I would watch what you say with that tongue of yours, lest I chop it off."

"What, so you magically care for Nu now?" Ragna asks.

"He's always cared!"

Ragna and Jin turn their heads to see Nu standing outside of the door to her and Jin's shared room, staring at Ragna on the floor. She takes a step forward.

"Ragna, Jin might seem like an insufferable jackass, and yeah, sometimes he really doesn't give a shit. But if you actually took a look at him, and didn't pass him off for the Jin that belongs to this timeline, then you'd see that he protects me with his life! There's multiple times that I could have died and he threw himself in the line of fire for me. There's too many times that the Black Beast would have killed me... and Jin pushed me out of the way..." Nu says, looking down as she finishes her sentence. "But deep down inside, my big brother is the strongest, kindest, most caring person that I know of!"

"Nu, I..." Ragna begins.

"What the girl says is the truth, Ragna," Jin says. "I would gladly give my life for my dear little sister."

"Ragna... I've been meaning to ask you... I don't know what it's like for me, because this is only an eyepatch, but... what's it like to have an entire limb as the Azure Grimoire?" Nu asks, trying to change the subject.

"Huh? What kind of question is that? It's uh... It's just like any other arm, I guess. I just... don't really feel it. Fake or not, it's my arm, that's all there is to it," Ragna says, holding his arm up to his face.

"But, that's not your real arm. How can you say that?" Nu asks.

"Really, if it works, it works. If it does what it's meant to do, then it's just as real as one made out of flesh, right?" Ragna asks.

Nu smiles. "Ah, I see... Thanks, Ragna."

"Is there something wrong, Nu?" Jin asks, turning to the girl.

"I was just thinking about something while I was sitting in our room. I guess I was having a bit of an identity crisis!" Nu laughs.

"That's... not something to laugh about," Ragna notes.

"I was thinking... am I real? After all, I'm a clone of Saya, so what does that make me? Well, since you told me that, I guess I have my answer. I'm a clone of Saya, and that makes me your little sister. But I'm also Nu, the thirteenth Prime Field Device. Those are two things that are never going to change about me. Whether I'm fake or not, I'm still me, and if I'm able to do my job, then I'm real in the end. I think Noel thinks that too, though I don't think she knows about the whole Saya thing..." Nu says.

"I see..." Jin nods. "If that is how you think then so be it."

"Speaking of Noel, what's she doing?" Ragna asks.

"Uh... I think she told me that she wanted to go and see Snakey," Nu says.

"Wh-what...? She wants to go and see Terumi?" Ragna asks, getting ready to run for Noel to protect her from anything that he might do to her. Jin, however, holds him back.

"Let me tell you something that he said to us a while ago. If he wasn't with us, then he would have killed us all by now," Jin says. Ragna calms down and frowns.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. But still, I'm worried about Noel... I wonder what she went to see him for?" Ragna asks.

"I think I might have an idea..." Jin says, thinking about the things that she said before they fought with Ragna at the Coliseum.

"Well, I'm gonna head to Kagura's office. There's something I want to talk about to Kokonoe, and I know she's there," Ragna says, moving past Jin.

"Is this about Celica A. Mercury?" Jin asks.

Ragna stops and then turns around, a serious look on his face. "How did you know?"

"It is written all over your face, Dark One. I had the same questions when I first met her, but I figured the answers to those questions out on my own. She isn't..." Jin begins. He stops himself and then motions for Ragna to go to Kagura's office. "I think it is best that you go to the Grimalkin for your answers."

"Alright..." Ragna nods, moving past him once more.

Nu walks up to Jin as Ragna leaves. "Hey, Jin... I want to know something, myself. Why didn't you kill him?"

"You would never forgive me if I did," Jin says.

"Even though your ultimate goal was to kill him, you'd still think of me first?" Nu asks. She smiles widely as she hugs Jin tightly. "You see, this is exactly what I'm talking about!"

"Easy there, Nu... you might just crush my bones..." Jin says. Nu shakes her head as she continues her bear hug. Jin can only roll his eyes. Nu finally lets go of Jin and goes to walk back to their room, but stops when she sees Jin collapse to the ground.

"Oh my god, Jin!"

* * *

Hazama stands alone, staring out of the window. His gaze is directed at the titanic tower at Ibukido. It's still a mystery to everyone as to what it is, but Hazama knows it quite well.

It's the grave of all of the Prime Field Devices that were sacrificed to make Mu. He caught word that Ragna was supposed to bring Celica and Noel there tomorrow, and Hazama couldn't help but want to know what he was going to do there, of all places.

"C...Captain Hazama...?"

Hazama turns around to see Noel walking up to him, a timid look on her face.

"Please, Ms. Vermillion, I'm not a Captain anymore," Hazama says. "But, what are you doing here? I thought you would have to get prepared to go with little Raggy to Ibukido."

"Well, yeah, I have to do that, but I wanted to come down here and talk to you for a little bit," Noel says. It takes Hazama completely off guard and he's left to only stare at the girl for a couple of seconds to regain his composure.

"Uh... what? You want to talk to me? Normally I'd be the last person that anyone would want to talk to," Hazama says adjusting his tie.

"Oh, I'm sorry..." Noel says, looking down.

"Please, stop saying you're sorry about every little thing. It's like you don't have a backbone!" Hazama makes a disgusted noise. "Now then, what were you going to talk to me about?"

Noel sits down at the chair across from Hazama and he looks away from the window, towards her. Or, she thinks. She can't really tell where the man's looking with his eyes always shut like that. She remembers the one time he insisted that his eyes were opened in Kagutsuchi, and she just wouldn't believe the man.

"I wanted to thank you for... what you did," Noel says lowly.

"Hmm? You'll have to speak up, Noel," Hazama says, putting a hand on his ear and turning his head to Noel.

"I said that I wanted to thank you for everything that you've done!" Noel yells. Hazama flinches in pain from the loudness of her voice.

"That's a little too loud... but... why on _Earth_ would you want to thank me for what I've done? You should hate me for that! Tell me, is your brain malfunctioning? Everything alright in there?" Hazama asks. He has half a mind to actually knock on her head.

"No, everything in my brain's fine!" Noel says. "Looking back at it, if you hadn't turned me into the 12th Prime Field Device, then I would still be running away from who I am to this very day... So, thank you for that, Hazama."

Hazama doesn't know how to respond to the girl. No one has ever really _thanked_ him before. No one has ever shown kindness to him at all, even though he doesn't expect anyone to show him that kind of emotion.

"Uh... yeah, sure, don't sweat it," Hazama says awkwardly. "Now, is that all that you came to talk to me about?"

"Um... no, that's not all. There's just one more thing I wanted to ask you..." Noel says. "Um... why are you still here?"

"Why am I still here? Well, that's a question that has a simple answer. I want to kill the Imperator. Why else would I be here?" Hazama asks, making it sound like it's common knowledge.

"But you could probably do it on your own, since you're so powerful. Right Hazama?" Noel asks.

Hazama laughs and shakes his head. "No, no. I'm strong, but I'm not strong enough to take down the Imperator single-handed. I'm here working with you because that's the only option that I have right now."

"I see..." Noel nods her head slowly. "What was it like, working with your comrades before you came to our side?"

"I'm not on anyone's side, Noel. Trust me, I'd love nothing more than to fillet every single one of you like fish when this is all said and done," Hazama says with a chuckle. "But if you really wanna know what it was like to work with the Imperator Librarius and Colonel Relius, then I can say that in one, simple word: annoying. Relius is a complete and total insufferable jackass. I'm pretty sure we were never working together and that bastard was planning to backstab me one day anyway, and the Imperator is just a completely unlikable bitch. All she ever talks about is death and despair, and while those are very, very nice things, it's just boring to hear someone prattle on about that all the time. And please, don't assume that we were comrades. We hated each others' guts. We were all in it for one, mutual goal."

"Oh..." Noel says, looking down. "I guess I can kind of relate to how you felt back then, huh?"

"You need to get ready to go with Ragna to Ibukido," Hazama says before they can talk any further. He doesn't want to talk to her anymore.

"Y-Yeah, you're right. Well, thank you for taking the time to talk to me, Hazama," Noel says, running off. Hazama turns back to the window and continues to stare out of it.

"What the hell was that?" he thinks out loud.

* * *

Nu stares at Jin as he lies down in his bed, a pained expression on his face. She's worried sick about him, and refuses to leave his side. She already informed the others about what happened to Jin, and they told her that he's probably just sick.

She vowed to stay by his side and never leave him until he gets better, and every time one of them tried to get her out of the room, she would yell at them until they got out. Tsubaki visits periodically, since she's too busy to be able to help Jin out.

As far as she's concerned, Jin is going to be out for a while, and she would stay by his side until he recovered. She doesn't know what could possibly have caused this, but she knows for certain that she has to be there for her brother until he gets better.

"Is he okay?" Nu looks up to see Tsubaki walking into the room. She stands by Nu's side and kneels down to see Jin's face. The pained expression has died down, but he hasn't opened his eyes or made a sound yet.

"I don't know... all that I know is that he's still breathing..." Nu says, turning to Tsubaki.

"Thank god..." Tsubaki lets out a sigh of relief.

"Oh, Tsubaki, this is actually some pretty good timing!" Nu says cheerfully. She pulls Tsubaki to the side away from Jin and stares at her with a pleasant smile on her face. "I wanted to congratulate you on finally getting with Jin! I was wondering when either one of you were going to admit your feelings for one another in whatever way you saw fit. Oh, and one more thing..."

"What's up, Nu?" Tsubaki asks.

"I just wanted to say... if anything, and I really do mean anything happens to my dear big brother, and it hurts him in any shape or form, I will personally hunt you down, and kill you in the worst way that you can imagine," Nu says, with a smile still on her face. Though it went from pleasant to eerie.

"Oh, uh... I'll... I'll keep that in mind..." Tsubaki laughs off the fear that settled in.

"Good!" Nu beams. "Now then, you probably got stuff to do, Tsu, so you'd better go and do it before it's too late."

Tsubaki nods and runs out the room, leaving Nu alone with Jin. She walks up to Jin and cups his face with her hand tenderly. Much too tenderly. "Don't you worry Jinny... Nu's here... Nu's here and she's gonna keep you safe from anyone that'll hurt you... I promise."

Then Nu jumps in the bed with him and reaches underneath of it, feeling around for something. Her hands wrap around the familiar material and she pulls out a Pakumen doll with an excited look on her face. She made a spare one herself and kept it hidden as a last resort in case she lost the other one, and since she gave it to Noel, now's a perfect time to take it out. Nu hugs the doll, cuddling with it, even.

"You know, with Jin ill like this, I think it'd be a really, really good idea to go into the room that I made for myself and sleep there so he can have the bed all for himself," Nu says, leaping out of the bed and skipping over to the separate door located next to the bed. She rips the door open and runs into her room. She made it so that she can get changed in privacy, and Kagura even helped her make it.

She flips on a switch to reveal many different pictures of Jin littered around. Some are him as Jin Kisaragi, and others are him as Hakumen. There are more Hakumen pictures than there are Jin pictures. In the center of the room is a bed with a giant Hakumen doll laying down on it. It's much more detailed than Pakumen. She jumps into the bed and immediately pulls the Hakumen doll close, getting underneath the covers and closing her eyes.

"Hey, Nu, I came as soon as I heard that Jin- what... the... fuck...?"

Nu's eyes shoot open and she turns around quickly to see Ragna standing in the doorway of her room, staring at all the pictures. It looks like a shrine dedicated to Jin Kisaragi and Hakumen.

"Um... you shoulda knocked..." Nu points out timidly.

"Nu, what is all this?" Ragna asks. "I was coming to ask you if Jin was alright, but maybe I should be asking that question about you instead..." he shuts the door and walks further into Nu's room. The girl stares at him as he takes another look around.

"Umm... I can explain...?" Nu says, worried about Ragna's reaction. "Just... please don't tell Jin!"

"Nu. This isn't a room, this is a shrine dedicated to Jin," Ragna deadpans. "Is Jin... me?"

"Well that made no sense whatsoever. Care to try that one again?" Nu asks.

"Is Jin to you, like how I am to the you of this timeline?" Ragna asks slowly.

"Uh... Yes and no? I mean... I would never think about killing him a day in my life, but... I love him a lot. But not how you would think..." Nu says.

"So, you're just really, really, _really_ overly attached to Jin to the point of you making your entire room dedicated to him?" Ragna asks. "This brings something up for me that I'd really like to ask you, and I was meaning to ask you this before. What exactly made you feel the way you do for him?"

"Ragna, he's my brother, but he's also my knight in shining, pearly white armor..." Nu says dreamily. "He saved my life, and gave it purpose, too."

"He saved your life?" Ragna asks.

"Yeah... I guess you don't wanna touch anything, so just stand there and I'll tell you. Jin doesn't like reliving this, but it's one of my favorite moments of my life even though it was really, really scary, too," Nu says. Ragna nods and begins to listen to her story patiently.

"We were fighting the Black Beast. It was just after the guy who saved us all... the guy who you're named after... sacrificed himself to stop the Beast for that year. Well, we were all ready to fight against that damned monster, but during our fight against it, I had gotten a little bit too close to the thing. That's when the monster had noticed me, and started to attack me. I got hurt really badly, and it looked like it was going to be the end of me, but then... I heard him. And I'll remember what he said to me as clear as day. 'Stay alive, Murakumo. We do not need a young life such as yours to die so soon.' It was him. It was Hakumen, my hero... He picked me up and dealt a blow to the beast strong enough that it stumbled over itself, giving him just enough time to get the hell out of there before it attacked again. He saved my life that day, and I'll never forget what he did for me," Nu explains.

"So, Jin saved your life..." Ragna says.

"Ever since then I promised I'd never leave his side. I was absolutely convinced that I was in love with the man," Nu continues. "I said I'd follow him to the ends of the Earth, and I still would to this day. There's a part of me that realizes that he's my brother, but there's another part of me that doesn't want to let go of that foolish, blind attachment to him."

"I see..." Ragna nods. "...Hey, Nu. One more question?"

"Sure, go ahead," Nu nods.

"Sorry, actually I've got a couple more. Nu, doesn't it make you sad, to know that you're a clone of Saya?" Ragna asks.

"Sad? What's there to be sad about?" Nu asks, catching Ragna off guard completely.

"What...? But, I mean... knowing that your life is a-" Ragna begins.

"It's not a lie. If it was a lie, then everything that I'm experiencing right now is a complete and total lie, and that's just not the case. Ragna, I might be a clone of Saya, but that's a part of who I am deep down inside. It's what makes me... well, me. I have two wonderful brothers who I'm very glad I know, because they're both really cool in their own ways, I have a little sister in Noel, too. I also got to meet people like the Six Heroes, too, and even got to fight alongside them in their battle to save the world from the Black Beast. Nothing in my life's a lie, Ragna. That goes for anyone. Didn't you say it yourself, Ragna? If it works, it's fine, right?" Nu asks.

"Yeah, you're right... I did say that," Ragna nods. "Thanks, Nu. The other thing that I wanted to ask you... What are you fighting for, Nu? Kagura told me earlier that everyone fights for something, and if they don't, then they just don't know it yet. So, what do you fight for? Do you know?"

"...I guess I fight for Jin. I've always stayed by his side, and I want nothing more than to protect him like he protected me that one, fateful day. So yeah, I fight to protect Jin, and those close to me too. I don't wanna lose anyone," Nu says.

"You don't wanna lose anyone?" Ragna asks. "Well... I was just thinking about something like that the other day. You know it as much as I do. The Azure Grimoire is something that takes from you to give you power. I'm tired of having things taken from me. I want to protect what little I do have."

"And what is it that you have?" Nu asks.

"I have... the broken mess that I call a family," Ragna says. "You, Hakumen, Noel... you guys are family to me in some weird way. You and Noel are clones of Saya, and Hakumen's just Jin from another time. I think I can live with that. Everything about me is messed up so why not my family, too?" the man laughs afterwards.

"Then that's what you fight for, Ragna. Fight for your family," Nu says.

"Yeah, you're right. That's what I'll fight for. I'll fight so that I don't lose what's important to me anymore," Ragna says. "Thanks for talking to me, Nu."

"Anytime, Ragna. After all, you're my brother, too. Oh, and not a word of this to anyone, alright? Or else..." Nu warns.

"Or else... what...?" Ragna asks.

"I might just have to kill you in cold blood!" Nu jokes.

"Don't even _joke_ about that," Ragna shakes his head as he walks out.

"I wasn't joking," Nu says as the door shuts. She goes back to the Hakumen doll and cuddles with it, going to sleep.

* * *

Kagura stands in his office with everyone who's been staying in the Library with him, except for Ragna, Noel, and Celica. They're out to Ibukido at the moment. He has something important to announce to those that are in the room, though.

"Alright everyone, the reason that I called you here today was to make a few important announcements. So, everyone just sit back and relax. We might be here for a while," Kagura says.

"First and most importantly, we're gonna talk about what we're gonna do with the Imperator and Relius Clover. The two of them aren't doing anything special yet, which means that they might be waiting for something, which is good for us, because it gives us even more time to plan and get everything right before we charge in recklessly," Kokonoe says. "It's the perfect time frame to tie up some loose ends, so you'd better go do that before we start."

"It's also good to give Jin time to recover from whatever he's suffering from," Tsubaki says.

"Hey, Kagura, I've always wanted to know. What are you really planning to do? I know that you want to go against the Imperator, but how are you going to do it?" Nu asks.

"Well, that one's simple, Nu baby. I'm gonna rework the system from the ground up. The first thing that I'm gonna do is put the _true_ Imperator up to the throne," Kagura says.

"The true Imperator? What are you talking about?" Tsubaki asks.

Kagura smiles at her and steps to the side to reveal what looks like a very young boy. "You're free to grace us with your presence, your highness."

Nu stares wide-eyed at the boy. She was never one to know how to show respect, but she did know that she should keep her thoughts to herself. 'This little squirt is the true Imperator?'

"A child...?" Tsubaki stares at him in awe.

"The legacy of the previous Imperator Librarius, Amanohokosaka Tenjo. I give you, Amano Hokozaka Homura, the True Imperator Librarius!" Kagura introduces the boy.

"I'm not really one for formal greetings, so I'm gonna get to the point of what we're gonna do to the Imperator," Hazama says. "You know what Kushinada's Lynchpin is, right? The Lynchpin is an artifact that can nullify the effects of seithr for a given amount of time. The Imperator herself relies _heavily_ on seithr, so we're going to activate the Lynchpin to restrain her movements. That whole spectacle with Azrael was just the rehearsal for this. With the Lynchpin activated we can restrain her and then take her out of the picture for good."

"Didn't the living key for the Lynchpin die?" Nu asks.

"Hmph... you know, I was quite surprised when I saw her for the first time, myself, but... You know that girl that's been running around here? The one I've been staying away from?" Hazama asks.

"Yeah. Her name's Celica, right?" Nu asks.

"Yes, that's her name. Well we're gonna use Celica to activate the Lynchpin. She's the one," Hazama says.

Before anyone else can speak the door bursts open to reveal Ragna, Celica, and Noel. Ragna is panting, out of breath, and Celica and Noel are looking at him with a worried expression.

"Where the hell is Kokonoe!?" Ragna yells.

"Oh, you're back already? That was a short trip. You were on a date with such beautiful women. Why didn't you stay longer?" Kagura asks.

"I'd rather not punch anyone in the face, but I'll gladly start with you," Ragna growls, staring daggers at Kagura.

"If looks could kill... geez," Kagura backs away slowly, putting his hands up.

"Chill out, Ragna, I'm right here," Kokonoe says. "Now what do you want?"

"How exactly do you plan on activating Kushinada's Lynchpin?" Ragna asks.

"I really hope you were listening in while I was talking, because I hate repeating myself. Look, we're gonna use Celica to activate the Lynchpin, that's all there is to it," Hazama says.

"Terumi, you bastard... do you have any idea what using her actually entails?" Ragna asks.

"Please, Ragna, calm down!" Celica yells.

"Do you mind filling the clueless people in here?" Kagura asks.

"Celica's soul is what's going to activate the Lynchpin! That's the reason that Kokonoe brought her from the past!" Ragna yells.

An overbearing silence fills the room. No one is willing to speak. Until...

"What do you mean...?" Kagura asks.

"Celica's soul is going to be fused with the Lynchpin. That's the final step of activating it... Once the soul is fused, it doesn't come back. It stays in there getting eaten alive bit by bit until the day she dies!" Ragna exclaims. "And after her life is sacrificed for you noble cause, the switch flips to off, and once again the world will be completely covered in seithr."

"You're serious?" Kagura asks, taken aback by the news.

"What would I gain from lying about this!?" Ragna yells.

"It's true," Nu says.

"Huh!?" Kagura turns to her.

"Did you forget already, Kagura? I was there. I know what happened. Nine said it herself. If she had used Celica, then there would have been at least three or maybe even fives years of the Black Beast's activity gone," Nu explains.

"With that amount of time my mother would have been able to create a spell powerful enough to beat the Beast," Kokonoe says.

"Mother!?" Noel shouts, along with Tsubaki. "You're the daughter of the Great Sage Nine!?"

"Yet, she tried to do that all in a year. All because of her weak heart. What am I to call that, other than foolish?" Kokonoe asks.

"You heartless piece of shit!" Ragna yells. He makes to charge at her, but Celica grabs him and holds him back.

"Stop this, now!" she yells.

"Let me go, Celica!" Ragna struggles within her grasp. "Don't you feel insulted hearing her talk about your sister like that!?"

"But I used to feel that way too!" Celica argues. That makes Ragna stop in his tracks. "Ragna, you may not know this because you were inside the Black Beast, but during the war, even after the creation of ars magus, tons of people lost their lives. The year that you gave us was valuable, there's no doubt about that, but when it started to move again, we were way too weak for it. No matter how hard we fought, there were still many people losing their lives. It was tragic and awful. Ever since that day I had regretted not using Kushinada's Lynchpin for the rest of my life."

"How stupid are you!? The reason that Nine could have created ars magus within that year was because she had her sister with her!" Ragna yells, startling Celica. She backs away from the man as he stares her down. Why did you think she was able to make a weapon that would be able to defeat the Beast? She didn't want to lose you! It's that sole thought that kept her alive and gave her the strength to go on. How could you have not realized that?"

The two continue to argue on about Nine's decision while Nu turns to Kokonoe.

"Kokonoe... what's up with his eye?" Nu asks.

"It's because Celica nullifies the seithr around her. It's her ability. The reason his eye is shut and he can't move his right arm is because his Azure Grimoire has eroded the right side of his body already. You should be thankful that yours hasn't even touched you. It's probably because he uses it so much, and you use it so little," Kokonoe explains.

"I see..." Nu nods.

Meanwhile, Hazama, who was listening in to Ragna's argument with Celica, begins to cackle with mad laughter. "Hahahaha! Oh... Oh my... Excuse me... it's just... I haven't laughed like that... in quite a while! Might take me a moment to... get my breath back... Oh, I think I'm crying! He he... Man you're funny! A regular slapstick genius!"

"Terumi..." Ragna growls.

"What you just said there, Rags, is the perfect case of 20/20 hindsight. How could you possibly know that was the right choice?" Hazama asks.

"Who knows? How are you going to prove that your way is right? What, are you gonna prove it to Saya?" Ragna asks. Hazama feels rage boiling up within him. Ragna just broke the last straw.

" _Don't tempt me, idiot,_ " Terumi growls. He's ready to attack Ragna at any second. "Don't forget, I still have to pay you back for what you did back there. I'll make you cry and scream until you beg for mercy."

"Try it, asshole!" Ragna yells.

"The both of you need to calm your asses down!" Kokonoe yells, standing between the two.

Hazama sighs, regaining his composure. "Excuse me. I guess I got a little crazy there."

"Terumi, you seem to be forgetting something very important about who made Kushinada's Lynchpin."

Everyone turns around to see Rachel Alucard standing in the doorway with Valkenhayn behind her. He looks ready to attack Terumi at any given second.

"Ohoho! You finally got out of that rocking chair, you old fart?" Hazama asks with a laugh.

"Shut your insolent mouth, monster. It is taking everything in my body to not rip you to shreds where you stand," Valkenhayn growls.

"Wolfie!" Nu exclaims, running up to Valkenhayn. "It's been so long since I last saw you!"

"Ah, it seems that you are here as well, Nu. How are you feeling? I hear that Master Hakumen is ill," Valkenhayn asks.

"I'm feeling fine. But I don't know what's wrong with Hakky. He just collapsed while I was talking to him and he's been sleeping ever since," Nu says. "Anyway, what were you saying, Rachel?"

"Thank you, Nu. It seems that all of you have forgotten something very important about the maker of Kushinada's Lynchpin. Think, could you imagine him knowing Celica? The man would of had no way of knowing that the girl existed. If Celica is the only key for the Lynchpin, then how on Earth was Tenjo planning to activate it?" Rachel asks.

"Hey hey... you're right about that! But, if Celica isn't the only key, then what is?" Kagura asks, putting a hand on his chin. "I had spoken to the owner of Phoenix: Rettenjo before we started that whole tournament. He said that his nail was... the spirit of his master..."

"Hey, Celica... how does the Lynchpin activate?" Nu asks.

"Um... it's kind of hard to explain, but... You inject the soul into the Lynchpin and it will merge with it. Then it'll start observing itself," Celica says.

"So you mean that Rettenjo was more than just a core...?" Kagura asks. "Of course!"

"No need to shout, Kagura," Ragna says.

"Nox Nyctores are powered by seithr. The Rettenjo is considered to be an anti-Nox Nyctores. It was designed with the intent to destroy the others. He decided to use Kushinada's Lynchpin, the one artifact that can put a stop to seithr use, as the core. And the catalyst for a Nox Nyctores is still its soul," Rachel says. "Now it's time to consider this: Why would Tenjo trust Bang with the Rettenjo, calling it his 'soul'? Furthermore, how would Tenjo lose to someone like Jin Kisaragi, who was still green at the time? Kagura, you were his disciple. Surely he wasn't that weak, correct?"

"Right, right... Like I had said before, the man's body was empty," Hazama says. "So you're telling me he used his own soul for the Rettenjo?"

"Precisely, Terumi," Rachel says.

"So if we have the Lynchpin and the Rettenjo, then we might just be able to activate it," Nu says. "Still though, I think taking Celica with us would be a good idea, in case Rachel's idea doesn't work."

"What!?" Ragna and Kagura ask, startled. Kokonoe and Hazama stare at her with confident smirks on their faces.

"Looks like someone has some sense in them," Kokonoe mutters under her breath.

"I'm not saying that Rachel's plan wouldn't work, but what I am saying is that we should bring Celica as a failsafe. In the case of the Rettenjo just not cutting it, then we would just use Celica and it would all be over," Nu explains.

"Nu, just shut up!" Ragna yells.

Nu whirls around and slaps Ragna in the face. The force of the blow is powerful enough to send him reeling.

"He's right. You bark too much, dog," Nu says, a scowl on her face.

"That's my girl!" Hazama exclaims, throwing a fist into the air.

"N-Nu! Don't hurt Ragna like that!" Noel yells.

"What's so special about Celica anyway? Don't you know what a Chrono Phantasma is? Someone who's not meant to exist in this time. I don't know what's making you so attached to Celica, but don't you know that she'll just die anyway?" Nu asks.

"What do you mean...?" Ragna asks. He takes note of Celica taking a few steps back, to where Noel is. "Nu, what are you talking about?"

"Listen, Ragna, and Celica knows this too. At her current state, Celica is only going to last just a few months," Kokonoe says.

"What do you mean by that?" Ragna asks, obviously startled by the news.

"I mean exactly what I said. Celica is a part of the Power of Order, created to resist seithr. If she continues at the current rate, then her body will eventually expire. Chrono Phantasma must return to their original states. There's nothing that I can do to fix that," Kokonoe explains.

"See Ragna?" Nu asks. "Even if we don't use Celica, she's going to die anyway. Either way you put it you'll be separated from her. So it's either use her as the catalyst for the Lynchpin and she dies, or don't use her and she dies."

"Ragna... For what it's worth, I'm happy that I have the time that's been given to me. Thanks to Kokonoe I've been able to meet you again. Sure we got to meet in the past, but that was only for a little while and we didn't get to talk much. Now, I'm here and I can talk to you all that I want. If there's anything to repay Kokonoe for what she's done for me, then I'll do it. So please, don't speak badly of her..." Celica says.

"Celica, do you hear what you're saying!?" Ragna yells.

"Yes, I do! I hear it loud and clear. These are my feelings from deep inside my heart, so I'm not just saying something that Kokonoe wants me to say. No, these are my own thoughts," Celica says. "I don't care if I'm used to activate the Lynchpin. I'm glad that I was able to have the time that I spent with you, Ragna. I finally got to meet you again, and that's enough for me."

"Celica..." Ragna begins. He doesn't understand why she would just want to throw her life away like this.

"I want to know, Ragna. Why do you care for her so much? Did something happen at Ibukido that we don't know about?" Nu asks.

"I believe it's because Ragna was sent back to the past," Rachel says. "He must have met Celica there and the two bonded greatly. Perhaps that is why that he is so attached to her. Don't you have someone that you're attached to, Nu? How would you feel if Mr. Hero had to die for something?"

"...That was a bond that formed slowly over a large amount of time. Ragna just shows up and starts liking Celica immediately," Nu says. "There's no way that you can compare the two of us to the two of them."

"If that is what you think, then so be it. I will not be able to change your mind," Rachel says. "I already know how much of a stubborn girl you are."

"Hey!" Nu shouts.

"Just whose side are you on, Rachel?" Kokonoe asks, grabbing Rachel by the shoulder and turning her around to face her. Valkenhayn twitches at the movement, but tries to remain calm as Kokonoe lets go of her.

"Neither, would be the best description of it," Rachel says. "I have merely come to shine a light of hope down onto this dull conversation."

"Fine then. We'll compromise one this if it gets the puppy to shut the hell up. We'll try the shitty vampire's idea first, and then if that fails then we'll use Celica to activate it," Hazama says. "I think that everyone can agree with that?"

"Fine..." Ragna says begrudgingly.

"Alright then, let's start now," Kagura says with a confident smirk on his face.

"You want to start this now? What happened to all of the planning that we were doing!?" Kokonoe shouts.

"If we keep on waiting and waiting and waiting, what's that going to do for us? Nothing. If we don't get something done right now then we won't have this golden opportunity again. We can do this now, Kokonoe. Let's take a shot in the dark," Kagura says.

"This is something that I'm not willing to take a gamble on!" Kokonoe yells.

"Kokonoe, trust me, it'll be fine. Look at who we've got with us," Kagura says, pointing to everyone in the room. "Hell, I'd bet Hakumen's gonna get better soon anyway, so we won't have to wait much longer for him either."

"Hmph. Very well, I guess I'll play along," Kokonoe lets out another sigh.

"We're gonna activate the Lynchpin now?" Ragna asks.

"Damn right we are! Hibiki, you can show them the way to the Lynchpin. I'll takes care of some preparations that need to be made over here," Kagura says.

"I'll be going along with them. Just to make sure that they don't do anything stupid," Hazama says, walking to Ragna, Noel, and Celica's side.

"Umm... what am I supposed to do?" Noel asks.

"You're gonna be opening the gate. They won't open unless they're in the presence of the Successor to the Azure," Kagura says. Kokonoe takes a machine out of her pocket and walks up to Ragna, sticking it in his hand.

"Ragna, but this on the Lynchpin when you find it. It's a teleporter. It works with ars magus, too. This device is linked with Tager. You can teleport the Lynchpin to Tager with this," Kokonoe says. "Once the Imperator shows her ugly face, we're gonna teleport the Lynchpin to Tager so he can activate it and restrain her. That's the plan. We'll be using the power from your Azure Grimoire to activate the teleporter, too."

"Wait a second, the Azure Grimoire won't function right if Celica's nearby, right?" Ragna asks.

"Idea Engine, activate," Kokonoe says.

Ragna's right eye slowly opens up, and he can move his right arm again. "Whoa... what the hell is going on...?"

"I feel light as a feather..." Nu points out.

"This acts like a 'noise canceller' to Celica's power. I was running tests with it with the Idea Engine I put into Nu," Kokonoe says. "So as long as both of your Idea Engines are active, you can use your Azure Grimoires."

"Hey, uh... what about me?" Hazama asks. "Don't tell me you forgot about me!"

"What are you talking about? You don't need your Azure Grimoire," Kokonoe rolls her eyes.

"Party pooper... and here I go thinking that I'd get something nice and new. Oh, well..." Hazama slumps his shoulders.

"Just go and activate the Lynchpin already," Kokonoe waves dismissively.

The group going to the Lynchpin leave the room. Kagura turns to Nu and Tsubaki.

"We're about to take action. I want you by his grace's side," Kagura says.


	21. Chapter 20

Hibiki leads the group heading towards Kushinada's Lynchpin to an old, decrepit, ruined city. Though you could hardly call this place a city anymore. Hazama stares at the sky, taking note of the dark red coloration. These ruins were once the city of Wadatsumi. Taking a look around, one could see that an effort to rebuild the city torn by the Ikaruga Civil War has been going on, though no one is in sight now.

"What happened to this place...? This is horrible..." Noel says, staring at the ruins with a sorrowful expression on her face. Her heart goes out to those who died during the war, or those that were forced to move from this war torn city.

"Take a good look, because this..." Hazama steps in front of the group, turning back to them and spreading his arms out. " _This_ is the product of war! Ah, I remember it like it was yesterday! The Ikaruga Civil War was one helluva war, wasn't it?"

"Terumi you bastard..." Ragna growls through grit teeth. Hazama rejoins the group and motions for Hibiki to continue walking. Both Hibiki and Hazama's eyes are set on one building that stands taller than all the rest. What's left of a castle is planted right in the middle of Wadatsumi. Just by taking a look at it the rest of the group could feel their hairs standing up on end.

"This is where the Lynchpin is?" Noel asks.

"Yes. You will find it in the basement of Wadatsumi Castle. There I am sure that you will figure out the rest," Hibiki says without turning around.

"You're not going to come with us?" Celica asks.

Hibiki shakes his head.

"No, I'm afraid this is about as far as I can go. Lord Kagura needs me, and I can't just leave him alone at a time like this," he says. "Anyway, this is where we part."

Hibiki turns around and walks past Ragna. The man turns around and grabs Hibiki's shoulder and says, "Thanks for navigating us."

"It was my pleasure," Hibiki responds. Ragna lets go of his shoulder and walks away. Hazama watches Hibiki as his figure becomes smaller and smaller, until he can't see the man anymore, and then turns back to the rest of the group.

"Alright, I'll be leading the way from here on. You should be careful on the way. We wouldn't want any one of you getting hurt now, would we?" Hazama asks. The team nods and follows Hazama as he makes his way into the castle.

As soon as Hazama steps into the castle and Ragna closes the door, complete darkness enshrouds them. They can't see anything. Ragna looks around for anything that might resemble the door that Kagura told Noel about before they came, but he has no luck trying to find it.

"Dammit, did we go into the wrong castle?" Ragna asks.

"No, Raggy. There is only one Wadatsumi Castle and we're standing in it right now. But I see what you mean. I can't find this door anywhere, and no matter where I check there doesn't seem to be any signs of a door..." Hazama says, adjusting his fedora. "I must say that I'm actually pretty stumped here."

"There _is_ the off chance that we came to the wrong room," Celica notes, turning away from the wall she was inspecting earlier.

"What is this...?"

The group turns their heads to Noel, who is staring at... well, nothing.

"What are you looking at, Noel? Don't tell me that you've gone insane," Hazama asks.

Noel turns to them, an incredulous look on her face. How can they not see it? It's huge!

"Do you mean that you can't see it? It's right here in front of us..." Noel says. She turns back to whatever she's looking at and puts her hands on it, feeling around for some way to open up the door. "I don't know how to open this, though..."

"Hmm... then I guess this is what he meant when he said that it will only open to the Successor of the Azure. Only she can see this door," Hazama says, a finger on his chin. "Maybe you should acknowledge it. We could probably open it, then."

Noel nods her head, turning back to the door. She shuts her eyes and begins to focus. She's enveloped in a bright light that goes away as quickly as it came, revealing her in the same clothing that she wore when she was Mu-12. It brings back bad memories for Ragna, and he averts his gaze, opting to look at Hazama instead. The man is smiling with anticipation.

A thin white line appears in front of Noel as she opens her eyes. That line expands, as if a door is opening. The entire wall that the line covers fades away in a bright white light, revealing a hidden section of the castle.

In the center of the newly revealed room lies the artifact that they're looking for. Kushinada's Lynchpin. The artifact itself is a giant nail with odd patterns all over it, wrapped around in massive chains. Ragna, Noel, and Celica stare at it in awe, while Hazama turns his head to the left, seeing a flash of purple.

"This is how they kept it from being observed..." Ragna says.

"My my my... It's been quite a long time since we've last seen each other, hasn't it?" Hazama asks suddenly.

"Hm?" Celica turns to where Hazama is looking and gasps loudly. Ragna and Noel's eyes narrow as a man walks up to them, holding someone by the collar. That someone is completely limp, but is still breathing. The other man merely knocked him unconscious.

"Ah yes, I do believe it has, Hazama," the man says, throwing the other man in his hands away from him. The body rolls as it hits the ground, and when it stops his face is revealed. The "X" shaped scar on his face is unmistakeable. It's none other than Bang Shishigami.

"Where does the time go, Colonel Relius Clover...?"

The man who Hazama addressed as Relius stands before them with a smirk on his face.

"So sorry, Hazama, but I cannot let you activate the Lynchpin," Relius says.

"Yes, we can't," another voice says. From behind Relius a well endowed woman steps out, glaring daggers at the others.

"Oh my, it seems you've taken Litchi Faye Ling with you, too?" Hazama asks, taking his hat off and bowing.

"I have taken the liberty of getting this loud, obnoxious man out of the way in preparation for the grand finale," Relius says. He turns to Kushinada's Lynchpin and a twisted smile spreads across his face. "My my... so this is the Lynchpin... What a marvelous creation. I would have liked to have seen it activated, but we are a little bit short on time. Now, Thirteen."

Another girl jumps out from the shadows in a flash of white, grabbing hold of Noel. Ragna's eyes nearly pop out of their sockets as he lays his eyes on who grabbed Noel.

"N-Nu!?"

"Link with 12th Prime Field Device confirmed. Commencing merge," Nu says.

Noel begins to cry out, trying to break free from Nu's hold. As Ragna runs toward Noel to stop Nu from doing whatever she's doing to Noel, Relius intercepts him, a pink doll appearing behind him. His weapon, Ignis.

"I will not let you interfere. Come, Ignis," Relius commands. Ragna is blocked off from Nu and Noel just in time for Nu to take Noel and run. Before anyone can reach her she vanishes into the shadows, her destination unknown.

* * *

Hibiki, Kagura, Homura, Tsubaki, and Nu all stand in the basement of the Librarium, waiting for the okay from Hibiki.

"Preparations are complete," Hibiki says, turning to Kagura. The black haired man nods his head in satisfaction.

"Alright, connect the lines with all the Cities in the world. I want the whole damned planet watching!" Kagura yells with anticipation.

Just then, Kagura's transceiver beeps.

"Kagura, wait. Looks like Relius crashed Ragna's party," Kokonoe's voice says. At the sound of Relius's name, Kagura's eyes widen.

"Relius!? Are they alright?" Kagura asks.

"I can't be sure about that. My signal cut off and Tager's nowhere nearby to intercept. Is there anyone that you can send after them?" Kokonoe asks.

"Let me go," Nu says, startling the others. "If Relius is there then that means that my little sister is in danger. I'll be more than enough to protect them."

"If you're sure about that, Nu, then you can go. But the moment something happens I want you to return here. While Tsubaki can be more than enough to protect his highness, the situation here is going to escalate. Rapidly," Kagura warns. Nu nods her head in agreement, running out of the basement. Kagura leans his head toward the stairs and yells out, "Get Makoto, too!"

"I got it!" Nu's response echoes back to them. Kagura lets out a sigh as he turns to Tsubaki.

"Is there any word on Jinny?" Kagura asks. Tsubaki looks sad as she shakes her head. Jin is still asleep in his room, and he shows no signs of waking up soon.

"I have a very, very bad feeling about this..." Kagura says, looking at Homura.

"Did you let it go? Or did you let it run?"

A sense of dread fills the room as a dimensional portal appears in front of them. It doesn't take a genius to know who spoke just now. The Imperator Librarius herself steps out of the portal along with the Phantom. She takes a look around the room, and a look of disdain spreads across her features.

"...What are you doing? It is I that stands before you. Know your place, lowly worms," the Imperator says. Kagura crosses his arms and scowls at the Imperator.

"It seems I haven't had the pleasure yet, Imperator Librarius," Kagura says. He grabs his giant sword, and Tsubaki readies the Izayoi.

"Such disdain in your voice. Do you not understand who stands before you? Oh, and the Izayoi, too? How do you think you will stand before me? You haven't even achieved its potential yet," the Imperator chuckles to herself. The Phantom moves to her side and casts a powerful magic spell, flooring Tsubaki, Kagura, and Hibiki. "Where is Jin Kisaragi...?"

"Why are you... so concerned about Jin...?" Tsubaki asks through grit teeth, trying her hardest to stand on her feet.

"Hades..." Homura stares right at the Imperator, a semi frightened look on his face.

The Imperator looks surprised at the sight of Homura and a smiles faintly.

"You must be the Tenjo child... Homura, wasn't it? I see..." the Imperator notes.

"Why are you here...?" Kagura asks.

"Must I tell you when I am visiting an area of my domain?" she responds.

"I never thought of you as the Imperator!" Kagura yells, shaking his head defiantly.

"Is that so? Then am I led to believe that this child is the true Imperator? I see, so you are after the Librarium," the Imperator laughs. "You are quite interesting creatures, coming after that which I possess. Very well, I suppose that I shall lend you a hand in the matter."

The Phantom casts another magic spell, and the Imperator takes in a large breath, preparing to speak.

"To all citizens of the world, I declare before you that I am the Imperator! As of right now I relinquish all control of the Novus Orbis Librarium to Amonohokosaka Homura! From this moment forward Homura is the new Imperator! I am generous. The Librarium is yours. Write the laws to achieve your ideal world, and struggle to achieve that glory you have long sought. That is right. Now the world belongs to you. It has left my hands, and has been placed into yours. Citizens, I call to you. You have served the Librarium well and have fought to protect your own world, and believed that through obedience to me that would be fulfilled. Now, I almost long for it. I appreciate your dedication and loyalty, and for that I will proved you with a reward as I relinquish the seat. The greatest peace... Unending calmness... A most comforting repose... An event that all living beings receive equally. All citizens, in the name of Hades Izanami, I present to you... DEATH!"

* * *

Noel lies at Nu-13's side as the white haired girl stares up into the sky with a happy expression on her face. It creeps Noel out, seeing as though she was told by Nu that she's normally emotionless.

"The Imperator gave off quite a speech... I suppose that I should be getting to what I'm here to do now," Nu-13 says. "Restriction 666 released... Dimensional interference field deployed... BlazBlue... activate!"

Nu-13 is immediately enveloped in a dark, purple aura, very similar to Ragna when he activates his BlazBlue. Noel takes this chance to look around to see where she's been taken to, but can only find the dark, cloudy sky above. She looks up into the air to see the clouds parting in a circular formation, revealing light.

The ground starts to rumble with tremendous force. It takes all that Noel has to keep herself on the platform that the two are standing on.

* * *

Ragna feels the ground below him begin to shake violently, throwing him off balance.

"What the hell!?" Ragna looks around for the source of the tremor, but finds nothing. What could have caused this to happen?

"The initialization has begun," Relius states, a satisfied smile on his face.

"Ragna, can you hear me!?" Kokonoe yells, her voice echoing throughout Ragna's mind.

"I'm a little bit busy right now! Can this wait?!" Ragna yells, blocking an attack from Ignis.

"Make sure you protect Celica and the Lynchpin with your life! Nu and Makoto are on their way to your location, so hold out until they get there!" Kokonoe commands as Ragna jumps over a buzz saw-like contraption coming out of the ground.

"Obviously! But Noel is in bigger trouble right now! The Nu that belongs to this timeline got her and she took her to somewhere! I don't know exactly where, but I can tell that it means trouble!" Ragna yells, slashing at Relius. A giant, metallic fist pops out of Relius's cape and parries the blow.

"Noel!? What the hell are you talking about!?" Kokonoe yells.

"Gah! The signal's horrible! Stop yelling into my ear!" Ragna yells back as a metallic fist collides with his chest, pushing him back a little due to the force.

Hazama looks both ways for any oncoming attacks as he runs toward the unconscious Bang on the floor. He crouches down beside him and gives him a slap in the face, instantly waking the man up. Bang beings to scramble across the floor and eventually sits upright, looking at who woke up him.

"You... Who are you? Oooh, my head..." Bang holds his head in his hands, feeling intense pain.

"Hey hey, you alright in there?" Hazama asks. "We can't have you dying on us, you know. Listen, there's something that I need you to do for us."

"I am sorry, but if it regards the Lynchpin then the answer is no. I was told to protect this with my life, and I will not let it fall in the wrong hands," Bang shoots up from the ground and gets into a battle stance, ready to risk his life to protect the Lynchpin. Hazama sighs loudly and shakes his head.

"Do you really wanna start a fight here!? This is an urgent situation you lunkhead!" he yells, pointing the the fight raging on between Ragna and Relius. Ragna cries out as Ignis's claws dig deep into his arm, and retaliates back with a slice of his sword. The sword hits Ignis's arm and the doll recoils back, taking its claw out of Ragna.

"What has been happening since I've been gone!? All I remember is... Relius Clover! That man came here and attacked me" Bang realizes who he's looking at with wide eyes.

"Yes, yes! Relius Clover! He's here to take the Lynchpin from us and use it for some kind of evil cause! Isn't that what you said you would stop anyone from doing?" Hazama asks.

"Yes, I did say that!" Bang yells. He begins to run into the battle but Hazama grabs him by his scarf and pulls him back.

"Look, I don't want you getting into that fight. It'd get a little bit messy, you see? What I need you to do is take that girl over there and activate the Lynchpin with her!" Hazama points toward Celica, who runs up to the two of them.

"Hi, I'm Celica A. Mercury. Are you alright, sir?" she asks, looking at the wounds that cover Bang's body. When Relius attacked him, he must have hit him hard.

"Um... yes, yes I am. Thank you for asking. I am Bang Shishigami," Bang says.

"We need you to activate the Lynchpin, Bang," Celica says with a kind smile. "I'm so sorry, but I don't know what to do past the point of using the Phoenix Rettenjo..."

"No no no, it's fine. I too do not know how to use it properly," Bang shakes his head.

"Well, if you look at the Rettenjo, it's like a nail... so maybe we need to hammer it into the Lynchpin!" Celica announces. "Bang, please. I know that this is an odd request, but could you please hammer me into the Lynchpin?"

"WHAT!?" Ragna yells, turning away from Relius to look at Celica with an incredulous look on his face, giving Relius enough time to slam Ragna into the ground with a giant green fist.

"Pay attention, Ragna the Bloodedge!" Relius says, a tone of disappointment in his voice.

"Well... okay, if you're certain..." Bang says.

"But, I thought that Kokonoe said that she wanted to try the bloodsucker's way first?" Hazama asks.

"This situation is getting serious now, Hazama! I don't think that Kokonoe is willing to take any chances, and I don't want to either. If it means that I'll protect everyone, then so be it!" Celica says, determination clear in her eyes. Hazama is taken aback by this and is left to stare at Bang and Celica as they get up and start running toward the Lynchpin.

As he sees Litchi go to intercept them, he jumps up and throws a chain out. The snake head at the tip bites down on seemingly nothing and Hazama shoots himself to where Litchi is going to be, taking out his knives and blocking an attack from her pole. Both Litchi and Bang are surprised by this action.

"H-Hazama...!?" Litchi stares at the green haired man wide eyed.

"You must activate the Lynchpin at all costs, right!? Well, what are you waiting for?! Go on and do it already, dammit!" Hazama yells. Bang and Celica nod their heads and start running to the Lynchpin once more.

Celica gasps and clutches her head, surprising Bang.

"What's wrong, Miss Celica!?" Bang asks.

"Dammit, the seithr here is way too concentrated!" Hazama yells. "What the hell is going on here!?"

The fighting in the room simultaneously stops. Ignis returns to Relius's side, and Hazama and Litchi put down their weapons to turn to the man. Relius starts laughing.

"I've opened all of the Cauldrons, so it was an obvious outcome," Relius explains.

"Even the one in Ikaruga!?" Ragna yells.

"I'm sorry, I don't think you heard me correctly. I said 'all', did I not? Now, all of the Cauldrons will be unleashed!" Relius announces. "All of the Cauldrons have been released. We have opened every single one of them. The seithr that flows out of them will eventually consume all 'life' on this planet and gather at the Monolith, here in Ikaruga, to become a catalyst for the Cauldron."

"Catalyst...?" Ragna asks.

"A Monolith that huge? The number of souls that it will be able to gather will be astronomical. I couldn't ask for more in the creation of a Cauldron."

"A Monolith? Ah, I see what you're doing. Raggy, do you remember the Cauldron I used to smelt Kusanagi? They're going to do the same thing I did there, but instead of using the Librarium soldiers like I did, he's going to use the entire world!" Hazama announces.

"So that's why there were no Library soldiers!? You used them to create the Kusanagi!?" Ragna asks incredulously. "You despicable bastards!"

"Please, that was all in the past!" Hazama says with a dismissive wave.

"The cauldron that that process will make, and the fact that No. 13 has fused with the Successor to the Azure... I would say that's a pretty sufficient way of bringing the Gods down to the altar," Relius says.

"You're... going to summon the Master Unit!?" Ragna yells.

"I'm not going to let that happen!" Bang yells, putting down Celica. Before he can do anything, Litchi jumps to him and slams her pole down on the ground in front of him, startling Bang. He stares at her, hurt clear on his face. "Why!? Why do you follow that man's wishes!?"

"It's all for the recreation," Litchi says. "We are going to reset this world and then rebuild it. In order to do that, we will send the souls of this world into the Azure, where his soul lies... the Abyss of the Azure..."

"You stupid bimbo! Do you understand what that means!?" Hazama shouts. "Little Miss Panties-in-a-twist is trying to destroy the Master Unit! Don't you understand that without it, recreation is impossible!?"

"Oh, Hazama... don't worry about that problem. I have solved it already. 'I' will recreate the world," Relius says. "The creation of a perfect doll... A world in which I am the Architect! In such a world, the Master Unit: Amaterasu and even the Imperator will be unnecessary!"

* * *

Nu stands at the very top of the Monolith, staring into the sky. A blue crest appears in the sky where the clouds have parted, covering that space. It has the shape of eight swords, with four at either side, and devilish wing-like protrusions at the top. It's the symbol of the Black Beast.

"It is time... to open the gates to the Nemesis Horizon!" Nu announces. Noel stares at the girl wide eyed, not knowing what's going on.

* * *

"What is that thing!?" Kagura asks, still struggling to stand. Phantom's spell hasn't weakened at all.

"That light is all living creatures' souls returning to the Azure. It is a repulsive light. One that I do not wish to see again," Saya says.

"Did you just say... that human life was repulsive!?" Tsubaki yells.

"Oh, so you are still able to stay in this world. I suppose that those who are gifted will not cave in as easily," the former Imperator says.

Kagura finds the strength to stand and attacks Saya. She teleports out of the way of the attack and casts a spell, sending a very thin beam at Kagura. It shoots through his arm and he howls in pain.

"Kagura!" Tsubaki, Hibiki, and Homura yell at the same time.

"So you are still able to resist Phantom's Gravity Seed. Truly a marvelous display of power," Saya says.

"You piece of shit..." Kagura says through grit teeth.

"It speaks! Let's see you survive this..." Saya announces happily, sending a blast of magic power at Kagura. The man is blown away, crying out in intense pain. Saya laughs, saying, "It's been such a long time since I've heard such a beautiful song... Nevertheless, I would have liked to enjoy it more. My blade has arr-"

Saya is interrupted as she's thrown into the wall. Tsubaki and Kagura stare at her wide eyed as an expression of pain finally spreads across her face.

"Didn't your brother ever tell you... that naughty little sisters deserve to get punished!?"

"No..." Saya's eyes widen as she stands up. "No! Not you!"

"Oh...? What's this...? You seem to fear me. How is it that you fear me now, when before you didn't? In fact, you said that you would prove to me how useless I am... Well...?"

The long, white blade pointed at Saya glints in the light of the basement floor. Shining white armor holds the giant blade in one hand, handling it perfectly. There are no eyes on the armor, but Saya can feel the murderous glare. The aura that emanates from the armor, a swirling white, chills those in the room to the core.

"J... Jin..." Kagura begins, looking at the armor as it steps toward Saya. The Phantom moves to intercept, but the armor pushes it away effortlessly. Its head slowly turns to the purple cloak.

"When I am finished with her, you are next, Nine," Hakumen says.

"You must be a fool to think that your blade can eliminate me!" Saya floats in the air, high enough so that she is eye level with Hakumen. She gets close to him and stares at him where she believes that his eyes are. "Susano'o, the Time Killer... how can you kill that which does not have time...?"

"You say that you are immortal, however there is one thing that you are forgetting, sister," Hakumen says. "The Izayoi!"

"Oh? You believe that the girl who does not know how to wield it properly can put an end to my life...?" Saya asks.

"Tsubaki, you have to release the Zero Type Izayoi! If you do not, then the entire world will be at risk to this monster!" Hakumen yells.

"You think that you can defeat me!? You, mere mortals!?" Saya yells, getting angry. She takes a breath to calm herself down, and smiles confidently. "Fine. If you truly are deluded enough to think that you are able to defeat me, then we shall go to a more fitting arena. Come, Phantom. We will go and see my sword."

"Wait!" Kagura yells. Before he knows it, Tsubaki, Phantom, Saya, and Hakumen disappear.

* * *

"The perfect doll... A world in which I am the Architect! In such a world, even the Master Unit and the Imperator are useless," Relius says.

"The Imperator... useless...?" Ragna's confused by Relius's words. What does he mean by the Imperator being useless?

"I have only made a pact with the Imperator until 'Doomsday'... However, since 'it' will be no longer necessary in the world I build, I will dispose of her. This world is insane... Every occurrence in this world is part of the Master Unit's memory. All events are chained to a reality that cannot be improved upon nor conquered. In other words... evolution beyond the Master Unit's memory is quite impossible. A predetermined number of possibilities vie for supremacy in this finite space. The pieces on this accursed chessboard carry out what limited moves are at their disposal. How is THAT not insane...?" Relius asks.

"Relius you insane fool... are you trying to become a God!?" Hazama asks.

Relius throws his head back and laughs. "Don't be ridiculous! I am not that greedy of a man. I simply want to fix this failure of a world... to rebuild it from the ashes!" Relius throws his arms out, spreading them wide. "I am the Architect! I am the Creator!"

"Self-righteousness has its limits... and you have gone way too far..." Ragna says. He goes to attack Relius, but a different doll stands in the way of him, blocking his attack.

"Oh come on!" Ragna yells at the sight of Carl Clover. The boy turns to his father, a hateful expression on his face.

"Father, I'm going to make you keep the promise that you made to me back then, and I can't have you die before you do," Carl says.

Relius starts laughing once again. "That's the spirit, my son! Now you're finally thinking for yourself. All lives in this world are merely tools! Even your father's!"

"Ragna! Has the Lynchpin been activated yet!? The Imperator is about to destroy the Master Unit!" Kokonoe's voice yells.

"Shit's hit the fan here, Kokonoe! Everyone and their fucking mother has sided with this masked freak!" Ragna yells.

"Dammit... alright, then is the teleporter done, at least!?" Kokonoe asks.

"I put it on, yeah... Look, is this going somewhere? Cause Carl's looking at me like he's gonna kill me," Ragna says.

"Carl's there!?" Kokonoe asks in disbelief. "And yes, I do have a plan. You're going to inject the Lynchpin into the cauldron at the top of the tower in the Ibukido Ruins. There, it should act as a conduit that will stop the flow of seithr form the Boundary all the way to the cauldrons all across the world."

"Do you realize what that's gonna do!?" Ragna yells.

"Yes, I do! Would you rather have the world drown in seithr or not?" Kokonoe asks hotly. "Look, there's one problem with this, though. We need to break the foundation of the tower. If not, the whole thing could collapse."

"Hey, you said that Nu's on her way here, right? Tell her to get her ass over to the tower so that she can break the foundation!" Ragna commands. "I'll try and do the best that I can in the meantime."

"Alright," Kokonoe says.

"Oh, and Kokonoe...?" Ragna asks.

"What is it now?" Kokonoe lets out an annoyed sigh.

"We're using Celica for the Lynchpin," Ragna says.

"I see," Kokonoe says, ending her transmission with Ragna.

* * *

Nu spreads her arms wide, staring up at the crest that shines brightly in the sky. Noel looks around to see blue energy flying into the crest. Are these the souls that are being used for the Monolith?

"No.. stop! You have to stop!" Noel yells at her. There's no signs of her even hearing what she said.

"I pray as Successor to the Azure... Bring the light that shines upon this Earth before me," Nu-13 says. "Master Unit... Amaterasu..."

The clouds in the sky begin to swirl in the circle that has been covered by the blue crest, and many different spike-like structures pop out of the clouds. Noel stares in fear as the sky literally opens up to reveal a brilliant golden ray of light. From that ray of light, and intricate machination lowers itself from its position in the sky. The machination's grandeur tells Noel that this is the Master Unit itself.

"NOOOOO!" Noel screams.

* * *

"Shit!" Hazama yells. He blocks a blow from Litchi and kicks her out of the way. "That was the Master Unit, there's no mistaking it!"

"Are you serious!? Bang, we need to activate the Lynchpin now! Or else we're going to be in some deep, deep shit!" Ragna yells, barking orders at Bang.

A massive fist made out of blue energy punches Litchi away from Hazama, startling the man completely. He turns his head to the source of the blow to see Makoto standing there, already ready for battle.

"Don't think I'll let you lay a finger on my Captain! But what the hell are you two doing with Relius Clover!?" Makoto yells. "I hope you're ready for a world of hurt, because I'm gonna give it to ya! Sorry I'm the only one here, Nu was coming with me but Kokonoe said that she needed to go somewhere else."

"Bang, you go and get to the Lynchpin with Celica! You're our only hope, old fart!" Ragna yells at Bang. The man looks at him, startled that he would put his trust into someone that he met only recently, and nods, taking Celica and running to the Lynchpin. Ragna joins the fray once more, grabbing Carl by the shoulder and kicking him into the ground. He dodges a blow from Nirvana and then slashes at the doll.

Hazama takes the chance to jump to Relius and blocks a blow from his metal fists with his knives.

"You know, I remember telling you that I'd kill you one day, Relius!" Hazama exclaims.

"Ah, yes, I do recall you saying that, Hazama. I'd like to see you put it to the test, then," Relius chuckles as he summons Ignis. "How pathetic, though... to think that you would believe you can control this situation with just yourselves. I also find it hilarious... how we were able to achieve all of this without you, Hazama. All it took was some reworkings of No. 13's protocols and a few other things and she replaced the gap you made perfectly."

"If you've got time to talk you've got time to fight. So shut your trap, Colonel Relius!" Hazama yells. Suddenly, a wolf comes flying by, breaking the two away from each other. That wolf lands on the ground and transforms itself back into a human. More specifically, Valkenhayn R. Hellsing.

"I am sorry, Terumi, but I have unfinished business with Relius Clover! I ask that you move aside!" Valkenhayn yells.

"Old fart!?" Hazama asks.

"Ah, Valkenhayn! It's been such a long time!" Relius announces.

"Dammit... then I leave it to you, old man. Make sure you don't sprain yourself," Hazama scowls. Looking over to Carl, he throws his chains at him and restrains the boy's movements, giving Ragna the chance to attack.

"Raggy, get Bang to the Lynchpin! Whatever the cost!" Hazama commands. "It's time to stop playing around!"

"Got it! I never thought that I would be saying this in my life, but... Thanks, Terumi," Ragna nods to the man, and then runs off to Bang.

"Ragna, all that you have to do is get Bang to the Lynchpin. I will handle the rest," Rachel's voice echoes throughout the area.

"Rabbit!?" Ragna asks, startled by the fact that the woman would join in.

"I can teleport the Lynchpin to where it needs to be. You worry about getting Bang to the Lynchpin, that's it," Rachel's voice commands.

"Rachel, you just don't get tired of throwing wrenches into plans, don't you?" Kokonoe's voice asks.

"Sitting in the boxes is far more boring than being on the stage itself!" Rachel announces, laughing almost happily.

"Well, alright. If you can teleport that Lynchpin to the tower, then be my guest. Ragna, I think you should go and help Nu out..." Kokonoe suggests.

Ragna nods his head and turns to Bang and Celica. His face softens when he lays eyes on the girl.

"Celica... I guess this is farewell," Ragna says.

"Don't worry, Ragna... I'll be with you in your heart," Celica says, tears forming on her eyes. Ragna reaches to her face and wipes the tears off of her cheek, not bothering to wipe his own.

"That's so cliche..." Ragna chuckles to himself. "Go now, Bang."

Bang nods his head and jumps away, landing on top of the Lynchpin.

* * *

A portal opens up at Ibukido, and drops four figures out from it. Hakumen lands on his feet, catching Tsubaki easily. He sets her down onto the ground and turns his head to the others that have arrived. Saya, and Phantom.

He looks up at the sky, seeing the sickly purple that it has become. He has no clue as to what's happening, however; he can see the Master Unit Amaterasu in the sky above.

"The Master Unit has been summoned..." Hakumen states to no one in particular.

"So it has. It has been much too long a time," Saya says. "I can say the same about us meeting face to face like this... brother."

"You say that as if you have missed me. I hope that you do not expect the same sentiment," Hakumen scoffs.

"As I have said before, this is a suitable place, is it not?" the Imperator asks, spreading her arms wide as she looks around. The Master Unit looms above our heads in this last battle to decide which one of us will win! How is this not the perfect stage?"

"You monster..." Tsubaki growls.

"Tsubaki, you have not yet released the Izayoi's true strength. What are you waiting for!? It's the only way that we are able to defeat her!" Hakumen yells.

"Y-Yes, Lord Hakumen- I mean Jin!" Tsubaki yells. She starts to focus on the Izayoi's power, trying to find the power that she needs to tap into to activate it. She begins to think about what's dear to her. What she's going to lose if she and Hakumen do not defeat the Imperator here and now. Her friends come into her mind. Noel, Makoto, Nu... She loves them dearly, and the thought of losing them tears her up on the inside. Then, her thoughts go to the man standing by her side now. No, no, she won't lose Jin! She'll never!

Tsubaki's eyes shoot open as she's taken over by a pure white light, exclaiming, "Zero Type Izayoi, activate!"

Tsubaki's clothes change drastically. She's in armor fit for battle, ready to go at any second. The shield-like book she once held in her hands is gone along with the sword, transformed into a pike with a yellow tip at the end. Tsubaki's hat is completely gone, her hair tied up in a ponytail. Hakumen stares at her new form in awe. This form seemed to radiate her beauty even more.

The man regains his focus as he turns back to the Imperator.

"I do not know when I woke up, myself. All I heard were the voices of those important to me calling out my name, and my eyes flew open. I found that I was in the Susano'o Unit as well. I figured that the reason I passed out was because the Susano'o Unit was reforming on me. I'm answering their call, Saya. I'm not going to let those I cherish down! I feel so much lighter than before... I feel more power flowing through the armor. And now..." Hakumen holds Ookami in front of him, and the ground beneath them begins to rumble. Tsubaki is taken off guard, as well as the Imperator.

"I am the white void. I am the cold steel. I am the just sword. With blade in hand shall I reap the sins of this world and cleanse it in the fires of destruction! I am Hakumen! The end has come!" Hakumen cries out.

"That's the spirit, Hakumen!" a familiar, gruff voice calls out. From out of nowhere a small cat jumps out, slashing at the Imperator Librarius. The woman dodges the attack easily and smiles at the feline.

"Stay out of my way," she says darkly. "This is a family matter."

"I'm not here for you, Imperator..." Jubei turns his attention to Phantom.

"Ah, I see... Phantom, it must be hard to fight like that. Very well, I shall release your restriction," Saya says, turning to Phantom. "I will grant you shape. Restrictions unbound... Code: Nine. I allow your release."

"With pleasure," Phantom speaks.

Black flames erupt from the body of Phantom, covering the figure entirely. The shadowy figure of what once was Phantom returns to its original shape. Magister Nine of the Six Heroes.

"It has been a long time, Lover," Nine says, looking down on Jubei.

"Hah... this is becoming one hell of a reunion party, wouldn't you say, Hakumen?" Jubei asks, turning his head to his old friend.

"Yes, Grimalkin... I do say it is..." Hakumen readies his blade, pointing it at Saya. "The Susano'o Unit has been reformed. It is stronger now than what it was before! I feel it now... yes... this is the level of power I was operating in during the Dark War... Prepare yourself, Saya! It's time for your big brother to finally teach you the lesson that you deserve! Tsubaki, come!"

Saya's eyes widen. Hakumen can tell that it isn't in response to the start of the battle. Her gaze is directed to the Ibukido tower. Nu appears in front of her with a blank expression on her face. It looks like she is awaiting orders.

"No. 13, it appears that there are two people that are threatening our plans for the destruction of the Master Unit. I wish for you to deal with them," the Imperator says. The Nu that stands in front of them nods and dashes off. Hakumen tries to catch her, but she eludes his grasp, giggling all the while.

"Maybe next time we can have a round two, Jinny..." she says, disappearing.

"That was not... Nu..." Hakumen says.

"No, that was the one that belongs here," Saya says. "Now, I do believe that we are in the middle of battle...?"

"It's time! Tsubaki!" Hakumen charges at the Imperator, and Tsubaki follows, nodding her head and readying the Izayoi for battle.

* * *

"Kokonoe sent me here... but... what am I supposed to do?" Nu asks herself as she walks into the ruins. She sees the base of the tower right in front of her but she has no idea where she should begin. She's surrounded in graves, giving her chills down her spine. This looks more like a cemetery than it does ruins.

"Sister!"

Nu doesn't expect to hear her own voice, and to feel something bring her down to the ground as well. She turns around to see herself hugging her tightly. Someone that she had never expected to see again before now.

The other Nu gets off of her and lets Nu stand up on her feet. She stares at the other her blankly, wondering how she came back from the dead.

"Nu!" Ragna's voice yells. Nu turns around to see Ragna running up to the two, and stops at the Nu that he suspects is the one that's his ally. Nu sighs as she undoes her hair to make it fall down freely, giving Ragna the basic idea of who's who.

"I've been waiting so long for you to come, Ragna... I started worrying... and sister's here, too..." Nu-13 says.

"Don't talk to me that way. It's disgusting," Ragna grumbles.

The other Nu looks down to the ground, hurt by Ragna's words. "Why are you so mean, Ragna? I'm Noel Vermillion, too..."

"No you're not. You're Nu..." Ragna says.

"I'm not Noel Vermillion," Nu adds.

"Did you know, Ragna? I realized this after merging with Noel Vermillion, but... Here in Ibukido, I was supposed to disappear. Oh, and by I, I mean Noel Vermillion," Nu-13 says. "The day Ibukido fell, Noel Vermillion was supposed to be smelted into a Black Beast by Sector Seven to end the war."

"What...?" Ragna is at a loss for words.

"Ragna, do you know how Black Beasts are formed? You need a Murakumo Unit and an Azure Grimoire," Nu-13 begins. "You fuse the Murakumo Unit, which is the heart, and the Azure Grimoire, the body, and that's how it's formed."

"Why does Sector Seven know that...?" Nu asks.

"Sister... the answer is simple! You know who..." Nu-13 says, the sheer thought of the man making her face twist in disgust.

"Relius..." Ragna says.

"Yes, that's correct. Noel was supposed to be used in that smelting process. And do you know who was supposed to be the body? Yuki Terumi. Noel and he were supposed to fuse. Or perhaps that's why the two of them couldn't. I mean... it was obvious! He took away my family and violated my heart! How could I fuse with someone like him? I would rather die. But I'm glad that the Take-Mikazuchi pulverized the operation."

"Why would Snakey wanna become a Black Beast...?" Nu asks.

"I dunno, sis... maybe you should ask him yourself?" Nu-13 looks to the ground again. Then, her expression springs up into that of utter joy. "Well, story time is over, Ragna, Sis! This poor little Noel Vermillion has come to kill you! Hahahaha! Ahahahaaaaa! Whatever the case it's fine with me! Let's all kill each other again! Sis, you can experience your original personality again! You can even join in! It'll be a threesome! You'll have to go first, though..."

"I'd rather not... But you're right. If you stand in my way I'll kill you... again..." Nu says. "Ragna... let's go."

"Hehehehe... come on, Ragna! Let's go as deep as possible this time!" Nu-13 exclaims.

"I'm not here to kill you or destroy you, or anything like that. You won't even die if I tried," Ragna says.

"We're connected with the Life Link... We have to die together or else it won't work! It's almost like... marriage...?" Nu-13 asks.

"If we're married, then I want a divorce, now," Ragna growls.

"But why? Nu wanted to kill you over and over and over and over again..." Nu-13 looks disappointed, and Nu grimaces in disgust.

"Ugh... hearing my voice talk like that... makes me sick..." Nu shakes her head.

"No, it's not over. Just now you asked me to help you," Ragna says.

"I never said anything like that."

"Yeah, you did. The moment you started telling me your story it sounded like a desperate cry for help."

With a smile on her face, Nu-13 says, in the most dangerous tone she can muster, "If you take this too far, I really will kill you..."

"Try me, bitch," Ragna spreads his arms out. Nu punches his back and he turns around to her.

"Deja Vu..." Ragna thinks back to when a situation very similar to this happened. When he, Hakumen, and Nu stood before the very same Nu-13 not too long ago.

"Oh god, you're right! I didn't even notice that, haha!" Nu laughs. Then, she cracks her neck, her sword falling down from the sky and landing behind her. She dons her battle armor.

"Ragna..." Nu-13 warns.

"I thought we were done talking for now? Come here... it's time I teach you a lesson," Ragna says, a confident look on his face. As the other Nu dons her battle armor as well, she begins to laugh as she cups her face with both hands.

"There it is! That's the Ragna I know!" she announces.

"Wha...? What are you talking about?" Ragna asks.

"That's the face you make every... single... time! Every single time you go out to do what you do best... Mmmm... you have no idea how much it turns me on..."

"What are you saying!?" Ragna yells.

"Why do you keep on fighting, Ragna? You've basically saved what you're fighting for. What's the point of continuing it? I can tell you why. It's because you enjoy all the killing, that's why," Nu-13 says.

Her words have an instant effect on Ragna. His eyes widen and he shakes his head out of sheer denial.

"No!"

"Are you denying it!? If you want a prime example, then just look at all the times we've ran into each other... I watched your face when you killed me all those times... that was the face... of sheer, utter, joy..." Nu-13 says, her voice getting lower and lower as she spoke.

"Shut up," Ragna says darkly.

"Didn't it feel wonderful, Ragna...?"

"I thought I told you to put a sock in it."

"You were smiling..."

"I'M GONNA DESTROY YOU!" Ragna screams at the top of his lungs.

Nu-13 throws her head back and starts cackling manically. "HAHAHA! I knew you were just like me! Yeah, just like me! Hahaha!"

"You're not making sense!" Ragna yells.

"Ragna, you want to destroy things, right? Me, yourself, this whole world! You want to destroy it all! Of course... Because you have the power to fight against all of humanity. The Azure Grimoire. Why wouldn't you want to use it? That's okay, Ragna! We can go at it until the end of time! You know I'd do anything for you, Ragna! Because I'm the only one who can satisfy you, Ragna! I'm the only one!" Nu-13 goes from an ecstatic expression to that of complete insanity.

"Kill... kill... kill kill kill killkillkill! I'll kill you all! I'll wipe you off the face of the Earth!" she screams, charging at the two suddenly.

Ragna blocks an attack just in time, and Nu's swords protect her from another one.

"Ragna she won't listen to reason anymore! We have to kill her or she'll kill us!" Nu exclaims.

"...A-Alright!" Ragna says, still trying to gather himself from what Nu-13 said to him earlier.


	22. Chapter 21

Nu-13's horrid, childish laughter can be heard all throughout the entire ruins. The girl takes absolute delight in slashing away at both Ragna and Nu as the two struggle to keep up with her.

"C'mon Ragna, isn't this what you wanted?! To have me come at you with absolutely everything? I told you... We're going to go as deep as possible this time! I want the both of us to enjoy this!" she cries out.

Nu and Ragna are pinned side by side, guarding against No. 13's relentless attacks. As Ragna moves to block a sword slash aimed at his ribs, No. 13 grabs Nu by the head and smiles widely, making sure she has a very, very good grip on her head. Nu cries out in pain as No. 13 swings her arm around, lifting Nu off of the ground. She throws her into a large pillar stationed at the sidelines.

"Now it's just you and me, Ragna!" Nu-13 yells, landing on the ground to kick at Ragna's feet. Ragna's unfazed by the attack and punches No. 13 in the face. As she flinches from the unexpected blow, Ragna grabs her by the arm and raises her into the air, only to slam her back down into the ground again.

Instantly No. 13 shoots up from the ground, commanding the swords behind her to form a circle. The circle of blades spin their way to Ragna, threatening to chop his head off if he didn't do anything. Ragna tries to get out of the way of the circle, but is surprised to see the blades following after him.

"Damn, it's tracking me?!" Ragna asks incredulously. He jumps back further to put more distance between them, and slashes at the ground. A wave of darkness flies up, hitting the swords as they come barreling towards him. He can't see past the darkness, but he can hear the swords fall to the floor.

Through the wave, No. 13 comes flying through, hand extended toward Ragna. His eyes widen in shock as she grabs him by the face and throws him into the ground. Nu-13 raises a hand into the air and a orange portal appears above Ragna's head. He rolls out of the way just in time to avoid a giant swords falling down on him.

A disappointed look spreads across No. 13's face as Ragna jumps at her one more time, slashing at her stomach. She lets the blade run through her flesh and then grabs Bloodscythe, surprising Ragna again. She pushes the blade out of her with enough force to knock Ragna off of his feet, and throws out a kick aimed at his head. He holds up his arm to block the blow and feels the blade that's attached to the leg cut into him. He shakes off the pain as he ducks underneath of another kick and punches at Nu-13.

Nu finally gets up after sitting down on the floor, recovering her strength. She turns around to the pillar that she was thrown into, looking up to see it go on for almost forever.

"This has to be the base of the tower..." Nu says to herself. "But how would I be able to destroy it...?"

She examines the base, feeling it for any spots that the foundation might be weaker at. She can tell one thing from feeling it, though. It can be cut.

"I just have to summon a big enough sword to be able to slice through it, then, right...? Well, I have an idea, then," she says. Nu turns to Ragna to see him still fighting with the Nu that belongs to this timeline, and she calls out to Ragna. "Ragna, can you hold her back for me while I take care of this tower so we can activate the Lynchpin!?"

Ragna pushes No. 13 away from him and looks at Nu, faintly hearing what the girl said to him. He makes out that she wants to destroy the base of the tower, and nods his head. He knows that he has to hold back the other Nu, because she would never let them break the tower without trying to interfere in some way.

Assuming that he heard her, Nu begins to gather the power to summon a very, very large sword, capable of slashing through the entire foundation.

"Oh silver blade forged in the depths of the beyond..." Nu begins. A giant portal appears, positioned so that when the sword is summoned it won't go run her through.

"You wanna break the tower? What for?" No. 13 asks curiously, summoning a sword and firing it at Ragna. He barely dodges the orange sword and feels the sting of the blade grazing against his ear. "Are you more concerned about that than me? You shouldn't be! Ragna, I thought you only had eyes for me! You're supposed to only look at me when we're fighting like this!" A look of utter disappointment appears on No. 13's face, like she's offended that Ragna doesn't want to fight with her.

"Oh yeah? Well, I technically am looking at you," Ragna says, lashing out with Bloodscythe once more. A sword pops out of the ground, blocking the attack effortlessly.

"What the hell!?" Ragna asks, as more swords shoot out from the ground around him. He's shortly surrounded by the blades, almost like he has been caged, with no way out.

"Now stay there and think about what you've done, you bad boy..." Nu-13 warns as she turns around and dashes off to where Nu is.

"Nu! Watch out!" Ragna yells from his newly formed prison.

"...Heed my summons an-" Nu turns around, hearing Ragna's shout. Immediately she's greeted with the sight of No. 13 rushing toward her, hand outstretched. Nu dodges a slash aimed at her head from the sword attached to her arm just in time. It taps against her Azure Grimoire harmlessly. As Nu repositions herself and gets ready to fight, the other Nu only smiles at her.

"Someone's been a naughty girl..." No. 13 says. "I can't have you breaking that on us, now, sis."

"Who said I needed your permission?" Nu says harshly.

"Oh, you're right. No one did. Well, I'm telling you right now. If you think about hitting that any more, then you're in for some trouble," the other Nu says.

"I'm done talking to you..." Nu spits.

Nu lunges for No. 13, the swords placed behind her following her movements. The massive, broad slice that they create is effortlessly blocked by the swords behind No. 13 shooting up and merging together, forming a yellow blade.

Nu pays no mind to it and attacks again, summoning a handful of swords. They shoot toward the other Nu, and No. 13 pulls her body back. The swords behind her begin to glow blue and an electrified aura appears around them.

"Sword of Decimation," she says, lunging forward. The blue swords knock the summoned ones out of the way effortlessly, and Nu is left to stare at her other self in awe.

"What the hell...? But that's... impossible..." Nu says.

Ragna, still trapped, remembers what happened before No. 13 took off to go and awaken the Master Unit. She grabbed Noel and said that she was synchronizing with her. Could this be what she meant? Not only can she supposedly pass for the Successor to the Azure now, but she can also use combat techniques and moves that Noel was able to use while she was Mu-12? If that's the case, then they're in for a nasty battle.

Nu jumps out of the way of a laser beam aimed directly at her and retaliates by throwing her hand down to the ground, summoning a large sickle. The sickle runs across the floor, catching No. 13 by her feet. She cries out in pain and summons another laser gun, placing it behind Nu. The girl jumps backward and slashes the gun, causing it to explode. Since she used her swords from a distance, she wasn't hurt by the blast at all.

No. 13 moves her hand upward and a large, yellow ball of energy rises from the ground, directed at Nu. Nu fires swords at it to try and stop it from coming toward her, but it looks like they're eating all of the shots she's made. The girl jumps out of the way of the sphere and throws her hands up just in time to block a kick from No. 13.

Nu dances around No. 13 in an attempt to throw her off, lashing out at her with a kick aimed at her head behind her. No. 13 turns around quickly and grabs Nu by the leg, lifting her into the air. She switches her hold on Nu and wraps her fingers around her neck, choking her. The swords that are behind her back surround Nu's throat, threatening to pierce it as they get closer and closer.

"Nu!" Ragna yells from his sword cage, trying to reach for Bloodscythe so he can cut them down and get in the fray. The sword is just conveniently out of his reach. He grimaces as he feels the blades that surround him digging into his body as he reaches for his sword. "Goddammit! What's wrong with you, you bitch!? I thought you said that you wanted me!?"

No. 13's grip around Nu's neck lessens just a little bit as she turns her head to Ragna with a frown. "Oh, Ragna... I thought you would stay there like a good boy and wait your turn! I'm not done with her yet, see?"

Ragna watches with a glare as Nu struggles to break free from her other self's hold. It feels like it's gotten much stronger since the last time that they fought. Nu grips her fingers, trying to pry them off of her neck, but it's to no avail. The grip that No. 13 has on her is very, very strong.

"Dammit let her go!" Ragna yells. He knows that his words have little to no effect on No. 13 as she keeps on strangling Nu. The swords that are surrounding her neck position themselves now, ready to cut her head off. Ragna's eyes widen as he looks back to Bloodscythe. It's still helplessly on the ground with no way of him reaching for it without cutting off a limb.

As No. 13's swords surround her neck, Nu thinks of a way that she can get out of the hold without hurting herself too much. She begins to feel the grip around her neck loosen as the swords close in. Nu recognizes this as her change to break out from No. 13's grasp. She flips herself around, finally able to move her body, kicking No. 13 in the face.

"Ouch!" the girl exclaims. Her swords drop down to the floor and reassemble behind her back as she flinches. Nu takes the blade attached to her arm and stabs it through the other girl's stomach, twisting the knife as it sinks into her flesh. She rips it out and reattaches it while spinning her body around to let her swords slash at No. 13's body. She's not aiming for anything in particular.

No. 13 gets up, a look of pure rage on her face. She doesn't look like she's too happy about having her face cut. "That's it... that's it, you bitch..."

"What's wrong? A little bit mad that your pretty little face got a little bit roughed up?" Nu asks cockily, ready for any move that No. 13 might make.

"I'm gonna use it... I'm gonna use it against you... hahaha..." No. 13 says, eerily laughing as she positions a hand at her eyepatch.

"You can't possibly be...?" Nu begins, realizing that the other her is about to activate BlazBlue. But when did she get an Azure Grimoire capable enough to do that? Nu remembers that Terumi had made it so that she could activate BlazBlue way back then, so who did it for her now?

"Restriction 666 released... dimensional interference field deployed..." No. 13 says. As the eyepatch begins to open, a massive amount of seithr flows to it, surrounding it entirely. No. 13 looks surprised by this as she stops her activation.

"What's going on...?" Nu asks, looking around to see where the seithr is coming from. Ragna realizes what's happening immediately. It's the massive amount of seithr that has been leaking out of the Cauldrons ever since Relius activated them. It's been steadily increasing, making it more and more dangerous to use the powers of the Azure Grimoire.

"Shit... we need to break the foundation now!" Ragna yells.

The seithr that swirls around No. 13's eye begins to converge as the girl looks at Nu with a frightened expression on her face. The swords that surround Ragna fall back into the ground and the man wastes no time grabbing Bloodscythe and joining Nu.

"Ragna... help... me..." No. 13 says, a tear forming in the eye not covered by the eyepatch.

Then, like a bomb going off, the seithr begins to rapidly surround No. 13.

She lets out a horrifying shriek of both pain and fear as she throws her head back in pain, clutching it with both hands.

Nu begins to scream as well, knowing full and well who-or rather, what-this energy belongs to.

"Nu, calm down! What's wrong?" Ragna asks, looking at Nu's terrified form with an expression of sheer confusion. Why would Nu suddenly start screaming like this?

"Ragna... it's... it's..." Nu begins, looking at what the seithr begins to create before them. More and more massive amounts of seithr swirl into No. 13's Azure Grimoire. She could only imagine what it must look like to the outside.

Ragna hears something begin to break, and turns around to see the sheer pressure of all the seithr has cracked the foundation of the tower. Eventually, it begins to break. He then turns back to No. 13, watching in awe as her body begins to transform.

"No..." Ragna slowly begins to realize what they're dealing with now. Nu begins to hyperventilate as a shade of the past begins forming before her very eyes.

* * *

"What... what is that power...?" Hakumen asks as he stops his fighting with Saya. He turns to the tower of Ibukido to see a massive tempest of seithr swirling into it.

"Saya, what is the meaning of this!?" he turns to the woman, who looks at him like she hasn't done a thing. Hakumen slashes away a ball of energy with Ookami, causing it to disperse into the air. Saya stares at him emotionless. She knows what she is dealing with, and she knows that magic won't affect him as easily as it does others. However, everyone has a limit.

"That feeling... it's like..." Jubei begins. He and Nine have stopped their fighting momentarily to turn to the Ibukido tower. "Hakumen, do you reckon...?"

As Hakumen grabs Saya by the head and knees her in the stomach, he turns to Jubei and nods his head slowly.

"I don't believe it..." Jubei says. "Well, what are we waiting for!? We have to go there an-"

Before he can say another word, a magic arrow formed by Nine interrupts him.

"We're still in the middle of something," she says. Jubei grits his teeth as he resumes the battle with Nine. Hakumen and Saya stare each other down, knowing that neither of them have been fighting seriously.

Tsubaki can only stare at the fight raging before her. She understands that at the current level of power Saya and Hakumen are operating at, she would merely get in the way. Maybe the activation of the Lynchpin would open up an opportunity.

* * *

"I see!" Relius's sudden cry surprises Valkenhayn and causes him to stumble in the middle of his attack. He regains his balance easily and looks at Relius with a glare.

A tremendous power shoots through the area, and it's not too foreign to the both of them. Hazama looks to where he feels is the source of the energy. The direction of the tower of Ibukido.

"Old Fart... that can't possibly be..." he begins. He doesn't really want to finish the sentence. Just the mere thought of the thing annoyed him.

"Yes, I am afraid so..." Valkenhayn nods his head. "Relius Clover, is this your doing?"

"You think I am the cause of this? Well, I suppose that it might be true to say that I am the culprit, but would you not think that it is the fault of the person who has activated her newly developed Azure Grimoire when there is so much seithr around?" Relius asks, looking appalled.

"You mean... you gave the Nu that belongs here an Azure Grimoire!? So that's why she was able to activate a BlazBlue..." Hazama says incredulously. He blocks an attack from Carl and kicks him to the side, only for him to be caught and placed down on the ground by his doll.

"Bang, stop the flow of seithr now!" Makoto yells, pointing at the Lynchpin. Bang nods his head and jumps high up into the air, landing on the Lynchpin. He finds it strange that no one has come to intercept him as he places his feet onto the Lynchpin. He stares down below at the battle going on before the Lynchpin, wondering if anyone is going to strike at him.

"Milady, Bang Shishigami has placed himself onto the Lynchpin!" Valkenhayn warns, blocking an attack from Ignis with his foot. He reaches for Relius and grabs him by the cape, throwing him away from Ignis.

"You're making no efforts to stop us, Relius," Hazama says, watching through the corner of his eye while Relius concerns himself more with Valkenhayn than he does the activation of the Lynchpin.

"Hmph. I'm more interested in what you are going to do with the activation of the Lynchpin," Relius says as he ducks underneath of a kick from the old man. "However, that's not what we should be worrying about now, isn't it, Valkenhayn? We're in the middle of a battle, no?"

"Why yes, Relius Clover, we are," Valkenhayn says, turning back to Relius and getting ready to fight some more. He prays that his old bones will last him through this fight. Makoto resumes her fight against Litchi and Hazama turns back to Carl with a threatening look on his face.

"Are you ready, little boy? I wanna end this as fast as I can!" Hazama yells, running to Carl, dragging his knives on the ground. The lingering afterthought of what he thinks is at Ibukido still unnerves him, but he has to fight on right now. There's no time to worry about... _that_.

* * *

As Bang and Celica hover over the tower of Ibukido with the Lynchpin, he looks down over the edge of the Lynchpin to see the giant twister of seithr.

"Bang, do it now! You must drive the nail and Celica into the Lynchpin!" he hears a voice that is foreign to him command. Seeing as though he has heard this voice before, he decides to trust it and leaps into the air once more, with Celica in his hands.

Bang looks at her with a sorrowful expression. He knows that the girl wants this, and that it's good for all of mankind if he goes through with it, but he just can't bring himself to practically murder the girl.

"Don't be sad Bang," Celica says as he grabs the giant nail from his back. He can't help but look at her and feel terrible about doing this. "Think of it this way. All great heroes need to make sacrifices in their life. Well, I'm the sacrifice that both of us are making to set things right."

"I see... You are right Miss Celica. Great heroes need to make great sacrifices. I suppose that there is no going back now. Prepare yourself," Bang says. He begins to plummet from the air and towards the Lynchpin, holding the nail in front of him.

Celica holds herself in front of the nail so that she will go into the Lynchpin, and shuts her eyes. She would be lying is she said that she wasn't frightened, but she silently steels herself as her body slams into the Lynchpin. Her eyes shoot open and dart around, watching as she is pushed into the Lynchpin.

She smiles warmly at Bang as he gives her one last frown. He is both proud of what he's done, and regretful for how he has done it. The Lynchpin goes soaring into the tower, causing a great eruption of smoke.

* * *

Immediately the effects of the Lynchpin are felt. Ragna and Nu notice a massive change in the flow of seithr. Slowly but surely, the seithr that continues to pour into No. 13's Azure Grimoire lessens and lessens until it's not visible anymore. The transformation that she was going through abruptly stops. What the girl was transforming into shrinks back down to what it was before she started to absorb seithr.

"They activated the Lynchpin!" Nu exclaims, watching the tower begin to shake.

Her attention is drawn back to No. 13 as she lets out another pained wail. Nu takes the time to observe what has happened to No. 13.

She still looks very much human, though her entire body has been corrupted by the seithr that she has absorbed. Multiple lines of pure seithr run down the right side of her face, while her left side seems just fine. Her eyes glow completely red. Nu recognizes those eyes immediately as the eyes of the Black Beast. Her mouth has been split wide open, with her teeth looking like the fangs of the Beast. A purple aura swirls around her, encasing her completely.

With a second look, it seems like the lines of seithr look more like cracks on her entire body, almost like something is caged inside of her waiting to be broken free. Nu has a good idea on what it is inside of her, waiting to break loose.

As Ragna looks at her, he's reminded of something that he remembers seeing in a nightmare. A still image of him, completely covered in seithr. In fact, to him, it looks exactly like that.

"Ragna! What the hell is going on there!?" Kokonoe's voice yells. "I'm picking up massive readings of seithr... I thought that the Lynchpin was activated?"

"No, you're not wrong when you say that the Lynchpin's activated... but... what's left of the seithr in this world is standing right in front of us," Ragna replies, staring at the girl in front of them warily. Ragna can't help but feel sorry for her. This is a fate that no one wants.

Nu can't stand the sight of the girl, however. She knows that if she wasn't careful and if she activated her BlazBlue, then this would have happened to her. The same goes for Ragna.

"Rag... Na..."

Ragna is surprised at the other girl's voice. "So, you can still talk...?"

"Sa... me... Ra..."

No. 13 sounds like she's soon to lose consciousness. Ragna looks at her with a sorrowful expression on his face, as well as Nu.

"Don't speak anymore, Nu... Please, don't. Don't make this harder than it already is," Ragna says, grabbing Bloodscythe.

"Kill me... Kill me..."

"Just stop talking!" Nu shouts. The swords behind her readjust themselves, ready to strike at any given moment. This is definitely not the turn of events that Nu or Ragna wanted. Ragna, still with a sad look on his face, proceeds to charge toward No. 13.

* * *

With a grunt of pain, Hakumen is blasted back by magic power. His feet skid along the ground as he attempts to readjust himself to regain his balance.

"You are indeed strong, Susano'o," Saya notes.

"I suppose that the same goes for you, Saya," Hakumen says.

Before he gets the chance to begin attacking again, he notices an obvious shift in the atmosphere around them. Saya seems to notice it too, as she looks up to the sky where the Master Unit hangs. At the tower of Ibukido, at the very top, is Kushinada's Lynchpin, and it's been activated as well.

"So you have activated the Lynchpin. Do you think that it will save you from me?" Saya asks, a smug look on her face. She thinks that the entire time that they have been fighting, Hakumen has been hoping the Lynchpin would activate in the middle of it and he would be able to get the upper hand against her.

"You are only partially right," Hakumen responds. "However, I know that the Lynchpin's activation is not enough to deter you, demon."

Saya takes amusement in what Hakumen calls her, and laughs to herself. "So now I am a demon? That does not strike far from what you've called me in the past... brother."

"You are no sister of mine," Hakumen settles back into a fighting stance, ready to act upon whatever move Saya would choose to make. He turns his head to Tsubaki, who still stares at the fight, waiting for her chance to jump in and strike. "Tsubaki, while I had asked that you fight alongside me, I feel that it is best that you stay out of this until the killing blow is ready to be dealt. I would not know what to think if anything were to happen to you."

Tsubaki merely nods her head in confirmation, as she was thinking the same thing just a little bit ago.

Saya turns her eyes to Tsubaki and smiles darkly at the girl. Tsubaki can't help the shivers that run down her spine.

"Ah, so you care for this girl, do you?" Saya asks. "It would be such a shame if something were to hurt her, would it not?"

Hakumen does not respond, rather opting to slash at Saya. The girl barely dodges the attack and counters with another blast of magic. Hakumen stands his ground this time and retaliates with another slash from Ookami. This time Saya ducks underneath of the blade and summons a large, purple ball of energy. The ball of energy makes its way to Hakumen slowly, who merely slices it in two, expecting it to dissipate. However, the large energy ball turns to two, and Hakumen realizes that if he were to continue slashing at them, then they would only multiply. He dances around them, and eventually they begin to dissipate into thin air.

He watches as Saya attempts to make her way to Tsubaki, but he grabs her by the end of her dress before she can go anywhere further.

"Unhand me!" Saya commands, turning back to Hakumen. Underneath of his helm he smirks, pulling Saya towards him. As she's coming toward him he extends his hand and grabs her by the hair. He holds her over his head and he starts whirling her around like she's a flail. After spinning her around for a bit, Hakumen throws her toward the Ibukido tower. Saya rights herself before she can collide with the tower and shoots a glare Hakumen's way.

"I will not allow you to lay a finger on her. Your fight is with me, not her," Hakumen warns, getting ready for whatever Saya might throw at him again. She frowns at him and summons three turret-like spheres that circle around Hakumen. He sees them open up and begin to charge some kind of purple energy. As they fire three laser beams at him, he jumps into the air and spins around with Ookami out, sending a giant wave of white toward them. The wave immediately destroys the turrets as soon as it touches them and Hakumen lands on the ground.

Immediately he's met with a large wave coming at him fast, reminiscent of the swords Nu summons that trail along the ground. Hakumen, assuming that the same thing that happened with the orbs would happen with the wave as well, dodges to the left and barely avoids it. He slashes at Saya once again only for her to float out of the way. She even goes as far as to flip herself over the blade instead of just moving out of the way.

"I see that your magic ability has lessened thanks to the activation of the Lynchpin. I thought that it would take a lot more than that to slow you down? Or are you just bluffing, like you've always done?" Hakumen asks, thinking back to the times where Saya would threaten him to get Ragna to beat him up when they were children. She never followed through on those threats, however, and Jin started wising up to it.

"Old habits die hard, one would say," Saya says.

The two continue to stare each other down motionless until Saya grips her cheek in pain. She looks at Hakumen, suspecting he was the one who hit her, but looks to the side to see Tsubaki standing there, with her pike outstretched like she had just slashed someone. Saya brings her hand to her face to see a tiny amount of blood on it.

"Blood..." Saya begins, looking at her hand in disbelief.

"Tsubaki...!" Hakumen turns to the girl. Tsubaki turns around and gives Hakumen a smile.

"It looked like you two would never get going, so I had to intervene. I hope you don't mind, Jin!" Tsubaki says.

"How dare you draw my blood!?" Saya yells, turning to Tsubaki.

Hakumen pulls back Ookami and slashes at Saya again, seeing her distracted by the fact that Tsubaki was able to land a hit on her. His blade tears into her arm, running down it horizontally. For the first time in years, Hakumen hears Saya scream in pain.

"It's quite easy when you're distracted, isn't it?" Hakumen asks. Saya turns to Hakumen and once again, for the first time in years, he sees fear on her face.

"You... to wound me like this!? What... what are you...!?" Saya asks, backing-or rather, floating-away.

"How funny... You acted all high and mighty just a minute ago. Where's that attitude now? Is it because I took your pride away? Is someone who 'doesn't even know how to use her weapon' being able to wound you all it takes to shatter that cold air you have about you?" Tsubaki asks.

"I'll kill the both of you slowly..." Saya says darkly.

"I would love to see you try," Hakumen scoffs, slashing at her again. Saya floats above Ookami and fires a beam of magic at Hakumen. The same beam that wounded Kagura. As Hakumen dodges the attack, Tsubaki flies in using the boosters on the Izayoi and slashes at Saya, only to have her attack dodged effortlessly. Saya holds a hand in front of Tsubaki's face as her eyes widen, and she is blasted by a large amount of energy. Tsubaki goes flying away, only to be caught by Hakumen and set down onto the ground.

"You have to be more careful, Tsubaki. I may talk down to her, but she is still quite the worthy opponent," Hakumen warns, holding his hand up to form a blue shield as another blast of magic comes his way. It bounces off of his shield and fires back at Saya, who counters it with another, stronger blast. This blast overtakes the other one and is once again sent Hakumen's way. He knows that this time he won't be able to hold a shield up to this one, and grabs Tsubaki to jump over it.

As he lands on the ground Tsubaki looks back to where the blast hit, only to see a large impact crater.

"You're using more powerful magic than before, Saya. Could it be that you're angered and want to be rid of us as soon as possible?" Hakumen asks. He knows for a fact that there is still some semblance of the actual Saya in there, and that whatever has taken over her has a very, very large ego. He wants to play off of that and see if he can continue to make her more and more angry so that she makes more and more mistakes in her movements, so he can have Tsubaki slash her with the Izayoi and end it once and for all.

He just doesn't know how or when that chance is going to open up.

He looks over to Jubei and Nine for a quick second before focusing back on Saya. The two are locked in a heated battle with one another, and it doesn't look like either side has gained an advantage over the other, even with Jubei's wounds from before still apparent. He hopes that the cat can make it out alive.

The cut that Hakumen made down Saya's arm shows its effectiveness, seeing as Saya refuses to move it. If she only has one arm to use, then her magic won't be as powerful as before. If Hakumen can keep making wounds on her like this, then he sees her end coming faster and faster by the second. He holds Ookami out in front of him and keeps a careful gaze on Saya.

"Tsubaki, go and distract her," Hakumen commands. He feels a certain nostalgia that he cannot describe. It feels as if his war days have returned, with him commanding the other Six Heroes and Nu, although the Black Beast has been replaced by his little sister, and the Six Heroes his lover.

As he charges power inside of the Susano'o Unit, he thinks back to those old days, where he would take turns with the other Heroes keeping a watchful eye on the Beast to see when it would move and when it wouldn't. That year that they had received was a valuable one, though one filled with constant fear of the Beast reawakening at any given moment and attacking more people.

His thoughts eventually drift to Nu. He wonders what she's going through right now. He remembers the swirl of seithr that covered the Ibukido tower for a short while before dissipating due to the Lynchpin being activated. He knows that she must be locked into battle with the her that belongs in this timeline now, though he does not know how rough said battle is.

He watches as Tsubaki makes vain efforts to slash Saya with the Izayoi, only to either get hit by or barely dodge the magic attack Saya sends out in retaliation. Saya's movements are fast and calculated. It may be due to the fact that she can float, so she avoids the attacks from Tsubaki and himself with ease. She seems to carry herself with the attack and then move out of the way just in time to evade it.

He sees Saya begin to slow down as Tsubaki attacks her. He sees the slowness of her movements now. Tsubaki is getting hits in, even if they are small and meaningless.

Now is the time. He can end it here.

"Empty Sky True Form," Hakumen begins. The two who are fighting pause to look at the suit of armor. Tsubaki sees a white aura flare up around Hakumen's armor as he leaps toward Saya. "Light of Judgement!"

Saya is not fast enough to block the next slash from Hakumen. She's caught way off guard by the sheer speed of Hakumen's slash, and the power behind it. Hakumen flips in the air and slashes downward, catching Saya by the shoulder of her other arm. She is sent careening down to the ground, slamming into the dirt below. Hakumen lands right next to Saya and raises his foot up into the air as she lies down, dazed by the sudden attack. Saya snaps out of her trance just in time to roll herself away from Hakumen's foot as it stomps into the ground.

"My arm..." Saya groans as she stands up. Hakumen wastes no time and rushes her, slamming into her with his shoulder out. She stumbles on the ground when she gets hit by it and Hakumen takes his one and only chance. He turns Saya around and wraps his arms underneath her shoulders, hoisting her up. With a panicked look on her face, Saya frantically struggles to get out of Hakumen's hold.

"Unhand me, you brute!" she exclaims. She even tries to kick Hakumen's legs, but her efforts are in vain.

"Tsubaki! Listen to me carefully when I say this! Use the Immortal Breaker now! This is the only chance that you are going to get!" Hakumen yells, struggling to keep Saya in his hold.

"Hah! How pitiful! That you have to rely on dirty tactics such as this to defeat your little sister! How pathetic of a man are you, Jin Kisaragi?" Saya asks.

"B-But... Jin... if I do that..." Tsubaki says, holding onto the pike with uncertainty clear on her face.

"It will have no effect on me, Tsubaki! Please, just do as I say and RUN US THROUGH!" Hakumen shouts. " _TRUST ME_!"

"Jin... Okay! I'll do it! Just promise me that you're right when you say that it's not going to affect you!" Tsubaki says, running toward Saya with the Izayoi outstretched. Saya's eyes widen.

"You buffoons! You are actually going to to through with this!?" Saya asks hurriedly, struggling even harder to break free from Hakumen's hold.

"Doesn't this remind you of the good old days, Saya?" Hakumen asks, remembering when he would do the same thing to her when he was younger. Though, it was usually until she cried, not until Tsubaki would pierce the both of them with the Izayoi.

"I am the judge, I am the jury, and I am the executioner. With the blade of retribution in my right... and the scales of judgement in my left... I come to deliver righteous justice!" Tsubaki cries out.

"No! No! Stop this right now!" Saya yells.

"I am Tsubaki Yayoi!"

"NOOOOOOO!"

"The end has come!"

Tsubaki shuts her eyes tightly, hoping to whatever God would answer her prayers that she didn't just kill Hakumen too. She pries her eyes open to see Saya and Hakumen fall down to the ground together. Saya's eyes are shut, but she doesn't know anything about Hakumen.

"Jin... Jin... please, answer me..." Tsubaki says, throwing the former Imperator's motionless body off of him. The Izayoi lies by his side, as motionless as he is.

"No, don't do this to me again... don't let Jin die in front of me again!" Tsubaki cries out. "Both times I've been completely helpless..."

"What do you mean, both...?"

The sound of his voice causes her expression to brighten immediately as she wraps her arms around him tightly. Hakumen is glad that this time, he doesn't feel anyone's tight hugs.

"I told you that the Immortal Breaker would have no effect on me. It placed death in the minds of its opponents, but that cannot be placed into mine. For the very first time in my long life, I can appreciate the Power of Order. Even the Immortal Breaker cannot overcome it," Hakumen explains, sitting up.

"Whatever the case... I'm so glad that you're okay," Tsubaki says. Her form reverts back to normal, as the Izayoi once again becomes the knife and book that it was before she activated the Zero Type Izayoi. Tsubaki's clothes return to normal as well.

"Jubei and Nine..." Hakumen says, staring at the two fight. "Make it through okay, Grimalkin."

"So every one of the Six Heroes that exists in this world is here now, aren't they? All fighting their own battles..." Tsubaki says, sitting down next to Hakumen. "That brings me to a question I've been meaning to ask you... Nu fought alongside of you while you were fighting the Black Beast... so why aren't you called the Seven Heroes instead?"

"Nu never wanted to be a part of it," Hakumen says. "When she heard about those people calling us the 'Six Heroes', she said to me that it was nice that we were getting recognition, but she didn't want to be part of something that she didn't have her heart and soul into. She told me that she only fought against the Black Beast because I was doing the same thing, and she had nowhere else to go but follow me around. So she fought, and fought, and fought. All because she had nowhere to go. She said that she never really cared back then, but came to realize the gravity of what we have done. She said it was too late to have us called the 'Seven Heroes' now, so she settled for 'Hakumen's partner' instead."

"Nu was only following you around...?" Tsubaki asks. "So how did you come to be so close to one another? You telling me stories of how she used to be and looking at her now is such a large contrast..."

"She used to be... emotionally confused. She didn't know what to feel, what to think... things like that. She saw me only as her master at the time, and would do everything I said. If I told her to jump, she would jump. And I don't doubt that if I told her to jump off a bridge, she would do it. But... the moment that the Black Beast was slain... those years following... she started changing. Instead of calling me 'sir' she began calling me things like 'Major Kisaragi' and 'Hakumen'. It was a step up from 'sir', but the formality of how she said those names bothered me. Then, her name for me became just 'Jin', because she was the only one who knew my true identity at the time. After that, she slowly became what she is today, and here the both of us are..."

"I see..." Tsubaki says.

Hakumen sees Jubei deliver a crucial blow to Nine and scoffs. "If only I could join the fray..."

"You just had a huge battle, Hakumen... please, take the time to rest first," Tsubaki says. "Oh, I'm sorry... I said Hakumen didn't I?"

"What you call me does not matter. Hakumen, Jin, either name is fine," Hakumen says. "I once said that 'Hakumen' was a way to escape from my sins. However, I've come to realize that both Jin and Hakumen are part of who 'I' am. I am neither one or the other, I am both. I feel that I would like nothing more than that."

"Jin... promise me that you will never, ever pull any crazy stunts like the one you just pulled against the Imperator again..." Tsubaki says.

"Haha, don't worry, Tsubaki... I won't," Hakumen says. Out of the corner of his eye he can see Jubei limping his way towards them. The cat seems to have won the battle.

Hakumen just wishes that he was able to see the end of the battle for himself. As Jubei walks up to them, Hakumen lays back into the ground and watches as the dark clouds in the sky part to reveal a bright, bright sunshine. A large contrast to the way the sky looked before. Does this mean that he's been fighting the Imperator throughout the whole night?

"Hey, you goin' to sleep, Haku my man!?"

The voice of Hazama causes Hakumen to roll his eyes as he sits up to see Hazama, Valkenhayn, and Makoto walking up to them.

"Things finished up pretty fast over there after the Lynchpin activated. Relius, Carl, and Litchi are still there, and I think they're talking to each other about something. We decided we'd leave them alone. There's nothing they can do now," Makoto explains. She sees blood on Tsubaki and gasps, rushing up to her friend.

"Are you okay, Tsubaki!?" she asks frantically.

"I'm fine, Makoto. We've finished things up around here as well," Tsubaki says.

"Isn't this a broken reunion...?" Hazama asks. "The only two that are missing are Trinity, Nine, and Haku's little pet. Though I'm sure I know where Nine is."

"Don't remind me of what I had to do, Terumi. I'm this close to snapping at you, but now that you're on our side I can't go and hurt an ally," Jubei says.

Hazama's attention turns to the Imperator lying on the floor, seemingly lifeless. "So, she's dead huh? Didn't know you had it in you, Haku."

"One thing that I got a question about... where the hell is Ragna and Nu?" Jubei asks.

"They're still fighting," Hakumen says. "They would have come back now if they weren't."

* * *

The slice aimed at No. 13's head barely misses, only grazing her ear. Ragna grunts in annoyance as he tries attacking her again. This time his attack is blocked by all eight of the swords behind her, forcing the two blades to clash. Ragna tries his best to push Bloodscythe through, but the swords that he's competing against are too strong. It's one sword against eight.

Seeking to break the lock that the two are in, Nu summons multiple swords from thin air, each fired toward No. 13. They all hit their mark and throw No. 13 off balance, just enough for Ragna to break away and slash at No. 13. The blade hits perfectly, and he hears her screech in pain.

Ragna's face falls. He can only imagine how much pain the poor girl must be going through right now with the Azure Grimoire slowly corrupting her. And he's adding on to that pain in his attempt to kill her. If there's anything that he can do to save her without having to fight her, then he would take that chance. But there doesn't seem to be any other way, so he has to fight on even if he doesn't want to.

As if sensing his doubts, Nu charges past him and kicks No. 13 in the stomach, sending her flying into the wall due to the impact. Before the other Nu gets the chance to recover from the blow Nu creates a giant portal in front of her. Multiple different swords fire from the portal, all directed towards No. 13.

Before any of them collide, however, a giant wave of darkness shoots up out of the ground and swallows the swords whole. She looks back to Ragna to see if he did anything, but he shakes his head in denial. Nu slowly turns her head back to where she kicked No. 13 and sees the girl slowly walking towards them, completely unscathed. Was she the cause of that eruption of darkness?

No. 13 lowers her hand to the ground and seems to build up a large amount of seithr before throwing it towards Nu. She jumps out of the way and stares down at what she had just dodged. It looks like an even bigger version of Ragna's Dead Spike. Was she using a combination of both of their moves against them?

As she plans a way to retaliate, she feels something whisk past her. She turns her head around to see a Steins Gunner placed right behind her. Before it has the chance to fire at her, she fires a sword at it and slices it open, making it fall to the ground. The Steins falls to the floor and then explodes. Nu turns her head back to No. 13 and glares at her. This is like fighting three people at once!

Ragna rushes in and throws at punch at No. 13. The girl slides backwards along the floor and avoids the attack, retaliating with a spinning kick aimed at his neck. Ragna ducks underneath of it and slashes at her once again, but No. 13's swords position themselves and block Bloodscythe from even barely reaching her.

No. 13 flips herself over Ragna, bringing the swords with her. They break away from Bloodscythe and attempt to stab Ragna as they return to No. 13. Some of them catch him, but he doesn't get too wounded. Ragna spins around and sees No. 13 kicking her legs out at Ragna. It seems to command the swords to follow her movements and they attempt to slice Ragna's leg. He hops over the sweep and ejects the blade on his sword to form a scythe. He swings it at No. 13, but once again she slides across the ground, away from the attack.

She doesn't realize that she slides into Nu before it's too late, and the girl does the same thing that she did to Ragna. Her leg connects with No. 13's side and the swords each follow, stabbing into her at different locations. They pull out of No. 13 and slice at her again as Nu preforms a backflip. The blades slice No. 13 vertically and the girl goes stumbling back while Nu readjusts herself.

No. 13 immediately bounces back and leaps high into the air, spinning herself rapidly. As she comes down the swords that she commands line up and she extends her leg, trying to hit Nu in the head. Nu slides backwards to avoid the attack and summons a sword to slice into her as No. 13 comes down. No. 13 can't react in time and gets pierced by the blade, causing her to cry out in pain and lose her balance.

It doesn't seem that it was enough to deter her, however, as she once again bounces right back into action. Ragna watches as Nu and No. 13 fight with each other, completely in awe at what he's seeing. It looks like some twisted form of dance, where the two compete for which one is in the lead.

He shakes his head to snap out of his daze and rushes in with a Hell's Fang. It connects with No. 13, causing her to lose focus on the attack she was about to preform. Nu takes the new opening to throw a giant blade out of the ground to pierce No. 13 with. The blade comes up so fast that it launches her into the air, giving either Ragna or Nu a new opportunity to attack. Nu, however, stares wide eyed at the girl. The sword went right through her, but it doesn't look like there are any massive wounds on her. How is this possible!? What's going on to make it like this?

She's been noticing this kind of thing happening during the entire fight with her. She or Ragna would land big hits on her and she would bounce back like nothing had ever happened to her. It's odd, and it unsettles Nu. Something is wrong. Sensing her discomfort, Ragna decides that he should be the one to act.

Ragna jumps to meet her and gathers dark energy into his leg, kicking No. 13 back down to the ground. He lands and immediately goes for a follow up attack, but No. 13 rolls out of the way and lashes out at Ragna. The blades barely connect with him and Ragna slashes her across her leg. While she screams in pain and grips the leg, Ragna notices that there's no blood, no wounds.

Has it been like that since they started fighting her? Is she incapable of getting wounded? Ragna knows that with his Azure Grimoire his wounds seal up very fast, but since No. 13 has absorbed all of the seithr left in the world, she must be able to seal her wounds incredibly fast. If that's the case then there's no real way to defeat her, is there?

No, there has to be a way. Ragna looks over to Nu, who nods her head in understanding. She's been noticing it too. The girl has been bouncing back from everything that has been thrown at her like she wasn't really hurt at all.

"Ragna, what are you thinking of doing?" Nu asks, catching the look of determination in Ragna's face. He's planning something, and something is telling her that she's not going to like whatever it is.

"Nu... I'm about to do something really, really stupid," Ragna says. Out of the corner of his eye he sees No. 13 stand back up and stare at him. "If this keeps up, then eventually she's going to go back into that transformation she was going through before and become the Black Beast... We're fighting a losing battle here and you know it, Nu."

"What are you talking about...?" Nu asks. "There's got to be some way that we can prevent her from becoming the Black Beast!"

"Listen... I've been here before and I know that there's a Cauldron down below..." Ragna begins.

"No, you're not..." Nu shakes her head.

"Listen to me Nu! There's no other way!" Ragna shouts. As he shouts, he looks up to see the ceiling above them start to crumble. Some debris falls down to the floor. He can only suspect that the ruins are starting to crumble. They have to make this fast or else they may be buried alive in the Ibukido Ruins. "Look, what we're gonna do is simple... we're gonna push her down into the Cauldron. That way we'll be rid of her, and she'll drift off to whatever time she'll get dropped off at... and become the Black Beast there."

Nu's eyes widen with realization.

The girl had always wondered why the Black Beast had appeared if one of the key components, her, wasn't there. She always wondered why. Every day she would ask herself that same question. Why did the Black Beast appear? Now, she has her answer. The Black Beast that showed up in the timeline that she and Jin where hurled off to was the Nu that is standing right in front of them.

With that realization came the guilt of knowing that she would effectively be sending the Black Beast to attack innocent people. She doesn't think that she can live with that guilt.

"Nu, I know you're slowly realizing what's going to happen when we do this, but we don't have much time. We have to do this. Every hero has to make a sacrifice in their life. This is our sacrifice, Nu. We have to do this," Ragna says. "Now, are you ready?"

"...Y-Yes..." Nu nods her head. Ragna's right. This is the only way that they can save themselves from what's to come.

"Rag... Na..." No. 13's voice sends chills down his spine.

"I thought that I told you to stop talking..." Ragna says lowly, getting ready to charge for her. The plan that he's formulating in his head is simple. Have Nu distract her and then Ragna will tackle her into the Cauldron, and then everything will be over.

He nods his head toward Nu, and she nods back. She understands what he wants to do perfectly.

Nu fires a few swords at No. 13, knowing that they won't really have any affect on her at all. They're only there to distract her. No. 13 expertly dodges the blades and out of the corner of her eye sees Ragna running toward her. She knows that he's going to try and do something.

No. 13 swings her body around and extends her hands, putting the swords around her at a very long range. They're just enough to reach Ragna and cut his eyes, which is what she's going for.

Nu sees this and sends her own swords to knock No. 13's away from Ragna. Not looking back at all, focusing only on No. 13, Ragna continues his charge. Nu gets in closer as well, ready to do anything in her power to stop No. 13 from doing anything to Ragna before he can reach her.

She notices that the girl is backing up to the ledge where the Cauldron presumably is, trying to create distance between the fighters. Nu smirks. This is exactly what she wanted. All it's going to take is to shove her into the Cauldron now.

Ragna yells out a battle cry as he finally reaches No. 13, pulling Bloodscythe out. She gets ready to defend herself as Ragna ejects the blade. He lets out another yell as he slashes at her with the scythe, retracting it back as it hits.

No. 13 tries to spin around once more to slash Ragna with her swords, and stumbles over the edge of the ruins. Ragna takes this as his chance to finish things.

"Nu, I told you that I'd save you... and here we are. Just wanna let you know that my method of saving people is kinda unorthodox, so I'm sorry about this," Ragna says. "If things were just a little different, things wouldn't have to be this way. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, just do it!" Nu yells from the back. Ragna turns his head to her and nods his head, grabbing No. 13 by the shoulders and pushing her off of the edge, sending her spiraling toward the Cauldron.

"RAGNAAA!" No. 13 screeches, grabbing Ragna's leg as she plummets into the Cauldron, pulling Ragna with her. He falls off of the edge and grabs onto it before he can completely fall in.

"Nu, you bitch!" Ragna yells.

"I'm not going down without one of you joining me!" No. 13 yells.

Nu dashes over to Ragna as she sees his fingers start to slip. Ragna begins to panic as he looses his hold on the edge. If he falls down into the Cauldron with No. 13, there's no telling what will happen to him.

Ragna feels his fingers completely slip off of the edge, but before he can start falling something hoists him up. He looks up to see his hand in Nu's.

"You can't change anything, sister! You can't you can't you can't you can't!" No. 13 yells. A large portal appears near Nu and a giant sword fires from it. Nu barely dodges it, almost losing her hold on Ragna's arm.

"Please, Ragna, just hold on a little bit longer!" Nu shouts. She dodges another sword, and begins to feel her grip on Ragna's hand slipping. She yanks Ragna up as hard as she can and brings the two back onto the ground, though No. 13 has to grab onto the edge.

"Thanks Nu... I thought I saw my life flash before my eyes..." Ragna admits, dusting himself off.

"There's no time for that!" Nu says. She sees No. 13 begin to try and pull herself back up, but she stomps on one of her hands with her foot. No. 13 pulls it back in pain, leaving only one hand gripping the edge.

"No!" No. 13 exclaims, trying her best to pull herself up. Ragna pushes Nu aside as he stares down at No. 13. He crouches down and outstretches his hand toward her. She smiles, thinking that he's going to save her.

However, Ragna's hand doesn't go where she thinks it's going to go. It balls into a fist and punches her head. No. 13 finally lets go of the platform, gripping her face where he punched her. She plummets down into the Cauldron below. Ragna and Nu back away so they don't fall down into it either.

"RAGNAAAAAAA!"

No. 13's desperate cry echoes throughout the entirety of the Ibukido ruins as Nu and Ragna begin to walk away from the Cauldron. The deathly silence of the Ibukido ruins now that No. 13 is gone unnerves them both, but they try to shake it off.

They walk to the exit, getting out of the way of various debris that might fall down from the ceiling. Nu opens her mouth to finally break the silence.

"That was... close..." Nu says, clearly out of breath from the stunt that she pulled. Ragna's panting as well.

"It seems like everything's finished up around here... let's go back..." Ragna says to Nu, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her close to him.

"Ragna!"

"Who's that...?" Nu asks, squinting as she looks at the entrance to the ruins. A feminine figure is standing there, but she can't tell who it is. The voice sounds very familiar, but she's too tired to even recognize it.

"Ragna! Nu! Are you two okay!?"

"Noel...!" Ragna yells.

Noel runs up to the two of them and smiles as she gives the both of them a big hug. Then, she notices the wounds that cover their body.

"Oh my god, are you okay!?" Noel asks.

"What I should be asking is if you're okay or not..." Ragna says. "How did you get down from the tower?"

"Oh, Mr. Bang brought me down..." Noel says. "But that's not really important right now! What's important is getting you some treatment!"

As a piece of debris falls in the distance, Noel reconsiders stopping here to get them the treatment that they need. "Well, I guess staying here isn't a good idea. I saw Jin outside while I was coming here to help you guys. Maybe he's still there..."

"Lead the way, Noel. I don't think we're in the position to start leading anyone anywhere," Nu says. Noel nods her head as the two follow her out.

* * *

Hazama stares at Saya's seemingly lifeless body. He doesn't trust for a second that the woman is truly dead, but it doesn't hurt to have a little hope. As he stares at his goal for staying with the others, he thinks back to the journey that took him to this very moment.

Rain starts to pour down as he reflects on himself.

"Aww, does it have to rain now?" Makoto asks. "Ugh, I don't even have anything on me to protect me from the rain! Ah, what's a little sickness compared to what we just did, right Captain?" she pats Hazama on the back.

"Yeah, yeah," Hazama says, still in deep thought. He realizes that he's changed. He's changed an awful lot. He looks up into the sky at what he's wanted to destroy for so long now. How many years has it been for him? How many years? And he stares at it without the malice he once felt towards it. Now that he has the chance to destroy it once and for good, he cannot bring himself to destroy the Master Unit.

Is it because he knows that all of these people around him will begin to gang up on him if he even makes an attempt to do it? No, no, that can't be right. For some reason, he feels safe with them. He feels like they aren't going to double cross him or anything.

"Terumi, what are you gonna do now? The Imperator's dead, if you didn't notice already," Jubei says. As everyone tries to cover themselves from the rain, Hazama takes a look down at the cat that asked him the question.

"I really don't know... I honestly do not know," Hazama says.

"What happened to destroying the Master Unit?" Hakumen asks. "Or are you afraid of all of us ganging up on you?"

"No, it's not that! Look, I just don't know, okay!? Gimme some time to myself," Hazama snaps, turning away from the group of people.

"What's up with him...?" Tsubaki asks. "He's acting so different compared to how he normally acts.

"Am I getting soft...?" Hazama asks himself. "Why don't I want to kill them? Why don't I want to get rid of the Master Unit...?"

Makoto picks up on him saying something, and stares at him for a little bit before asking, "Is everything alright, Captain?"

"I thought I told you to leave me alone for the time being. God, do any of you even bother to listen to advice!?" Hazama asks.

"I understand," Hakumen says knowingly. He knows just what kind of inner turmoil Hazama is feeling right now. He's questioning everything that he's ever believed in, and then some. He understands that feeling all too well.

"JINNY!"

The sudden sound of Nu's voice catches Hakumen off guard and he doesn't expect the girl to jump onto him. He laughs as he pushes her off of him and looks down at her. Noel stands with Tsubaki and Makoto as the three girls talk to each other about what they've been through.

"I see that you've made it back, although it would be far off to say that you're in one piece," Hakumen notes.

"Yeah... me and Ragna got into a really tough scrape at the end of our fight together," Nu says. "Uh... it was a real eye-opening experience."

"I see," Hakumen says. He looks up from her to see Ragna standing near Saya's body, looking down at her. He gently pushes Nu to the side and walks up to him, putting his hand on his shoulder. Ragna looks up from Saya to see the faceless mask staring at him.

"She's really dead, huh?" Ragna asks.

"Yes. I saw her die with my own eyes," Hakumen responds. "The fight was gruesome."

"It's so surreal... I mean... this is what I wanted, but... why do I feel so empty inside now?" Ragna asks.

"It is always a difficult thing to lose someone that you care deeply for, Dark One," Hakumen says. Ragna nods his head, knowing that his brother knows what he's talking about.

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees the lifeless body twitch.

Hakumen grabs Ookami, but doesn't take it out of its sheath. He doesn't know what's going on, but he doesn't like it one bit.

"Where... am I...?" the body miraculously comes back to life. Saya sits up and rubs her eyes groggily, looking around her to see many different people that she doesn't know standing around her, staring at her with wary looks in their eyes.

However, there is one person that she instantly recognizes.

"Br-brother...? What are you doing here...?" Saya asks.

"Saya... there's no use playing dumb with us," Ragna says darkly. He turns his head to Hakumen and frowns. "So, even after all that the Immortal Breaker didn't work...?"

"No, the Immortal Breaker worked. She seemed to be very fearful of it when Tsubaki pierced her with the Izayoi... something seems very off about her, however. I do not sense the malice that I did while I was fighting her in her now," Hakumen says.

"So, are you telling me..." Ragna begins.

"No," Hakumen shakes his head. "But it is a possibility."

"What are you two talking about...? Ragna, is that... is that Hakumen of the Six Heroes...!?" Saya asks, standing up. Those around her get ready for any kind of attack possible, still wary of what's going on.

"Stand down! If she does not instantly recognize me, then my theory is right," Hakumen says. "The Immortal Breaker places death into the mind of its opponent, not the opponent's body. Saya referred to herself as Hades Izanami once. It seems as though she had been possessed by something... and that something suppressed her mind. As I have said before the Immortal Breaker places death in the mind of its opponent. The Immortal Breaker did work, but it only killed 'Hades Izanami', not 'Saya'. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"...I think so, yeah. So you're basically saying we killed the thing that was possessing Saya, and now Saya is back with us?" Ragna asks.

Hakumen's only response is a slow nod. He turns to Nu and walks toward her, saying, "Nu, there is nothing else that we need to do here. We go."

"Hey, wait!" Nu yells. She feels the glare from the helm of the armor and complies instantly, hopping onto Hakumen's back.

"Hey, are you sure that this is the right thing to do?" Nu asks. "I know what's going on through your mind right now. You don't want to be here because of her, is that it?"

Hakumen merely nods in response to her question.

"Ragna...? Brother? What's going on...?" Saya asks timidly. Ragna crouches down to his sister and puts a loving hand on her cheek.

"Nothing, Saya. It's nothing that you need to worry about," Ragna says. He stands back up and turns to Hakumen, pointing a finger at him.

"Jin, where the hell do you think you're going?"

Hakumen stops walking away and turns to Ragna slowly.

"I am taking my leave, Dark One. I do not need to be here any more," Hakumen says.

"Well where the hell are you going? Are you just going to wander around aimlessly?" Ragna asks.

"Jin, you can't do that!" Tsubaki yells. "Not after what you said to me earlier!"

"Jin...?" Saya asks. She makes her way to the suit of armor and stares up at him. "Jin, is that really you...? Brother...?"

"No. I am not your brother," Hakumen says. "I am Hakumen."

"Stop it with the act, Jin! Everyone knows, so stop hiding it!" Ragna yells.

Hakumen shakes his head, and puts his hands on his helm. He takes it off and puts it down on the ground, near his side.

"Jin... it really is you!" Saya exclaims, hugging Hakumen's legs.

"I don't... I don't understand..." Hakumen says.

"Don't you realize it, Jin...?" Tsubaki asks, taking a step forward. The rain stops pouring down, and the clouds part to reveal the bright blue sky. "You act like you don't belong here, but the thing is... you do! There are so many people who like you, and you even have family! I don't know why you keep thinking that you don't belong here, because you do..."

"What makes you think that I have been thinking that?" Hakumen asks.

"It's obvious, Jin... Your detachment from everything told me that you didn't really care about what happened, and I figured that it was because you thought that you don't belong here. Thankfully I've known you long enough to know that you're exactly like the Jin that originates from here... and thanks to that I know that I was right in thinking that," Tsubaki says, taking a step forward.

"Please, don't think that you don't belong here. Just look at everyone here. In one way or another they've been touched by you, and their lives would have never been the same without you," Tsubaki says.

"Tsubaki, I..." Hakumen begins. He looks as if he's in deep thought and then puts his helm back on. "You're right. I guess I've been a fool this entire time. I will stay."

"So we don't have to go away?" Nu asks happily.

"Yes, Nu, we don't have to go anywhere. Home is right here," Hakumen says.

"Captain...?" Makoto turns to Hazama, who stares at the scene with a straight face. He's been standing there like that for a while now, and Makoto doesn't know if he's alright or not. You can never tell with his always closed eyes that he swears are open. He looks completely soaked. "Are you alright?"

"The rain ruined my favorite suit," Hazama says, pouting.

"Haha... looks like things don't really change with you, does it?" Makoto asks.

"Why not go back to Kagura's? We can stop there, and then after that do our stuff," Noel suggests.

"That's a good idea, Noel," Nu says. "I'm sure Kagura's waiting to see the results of what happened, anyway."

With everyone in agreement, they head to the Librarium. Just as Nu rides on Hakumen's back, Ragna picks Saya up and lets her ride on his. He's glad that this is the outcome. He wouldn't have things any other way.

After a long and grueling battle, Hakumen is ready to finally get rest and peace.


	23. Epilogue

"U-Um... Major... I have... I have the papers that you wanted..."

"Thank you Lieutenant. You've been running everywhere for me today, haven't you? Why don't you take a seat and rest a little bit?"

"Th-Thank you, Major."

Noel walks over to the chair in front of the desk and takes a look around the office she's in. It looks the exact same as it did before, though a recent addition to it really stands out.

With word of the Imperator's demise, Kagura had formed the "New NOL", with the rules and ideals that he wanted established, with Homura as the new Imperator Librarius. He gave everyone their old positions back if they were in the NOL before, so here Noel is now, sitting in this very familiar office, with a very familiar face reading the papers she gave to him.

"Tch... though I haven't been here for years, everything is still the same as it was before. Boring paperwork about nonsense that doesn't matter," he puts his papers down on the desk and takes a look at Noel, who's staring at the suit of armor in the back.

"Lieutenant, are you alright? You seem off today."

"Oh no, it's nothing!" Noel shakes her head. "It's just... it hasn't been like this for a while. I'm just happy to relive these peaceful moments."

"Well, thanks to our efforts there will be many more days like this to come. You should feel proud of yourself."

"Th-thank you, Major Kisaragi," Noel says. Though he acts nowhere near the same, Jin's authoritative air is intimidating. He looks over to where she's looking, the Susano'o Unit, and smiles.

"To be honest I'm surprised that I was able to get it off of me," Jin says. "Normally the Susano'o Unit is linked to you. Once you put it on you cannot take it off. However, with Terumi's help I was able to take it off of me. He knows more about it than I do. Still, I thought that I would never request that man's help."

"Um... Major Kisaragi? How does it feel? To be back like this again?" Noel asks.

Jin sighs and looks back down at the paperwork in front of him. "To be honest, I don't know how I feel about this. I only took this opportunity because there was nowhere for me to go. It... doesn't feel right to take the place of the Jin that originates from here, though. However, that's just me."

"Think of it this way, then. This is the New NOL, right? He worked in the old NOL, and you're working in the new one," Noel says. "That's how I like to think of things!"

"I suppose that you're right, Lieutenant. To be honest, I wasn't sure how things would play out with you as my Lieutenant. I would have requested Tsubaki to me mine, however she joined back with the Garbage Disposal team," Jin says. "I'm quite surprised by your skills, however. I would have never thought you would be able to keep up with this."

"Wh-What's that supposed to mean?" Noel asks.

"I mean... you don't seem like the type of person to be able to work under pressure," Jin says. "I've been proven wrong, however. You've been doing a fine job so far, Child of the Azure."

"I... I see," Noel nods her head.

"This report about the Intelligence Department... Makoto and Hazama have returned from their trip to Ibukido, but there's no report on what they found there. I know that you're close to Makoto, so I figured that you would be able to tell me if they found anything there."

"Oh, uh... Well, they were going there to see if Relius Clover, Carl, and Miss Litchi were still there, but it seems like they disappeared. They were going to file a report about that, but Makoto convinced Hazama that there's nothing to worry about. It's not like those three are going to be doing anything anytime soon. Oh, and another thing... the Master Unit is still hovering over the ruins. It doesn't look like there's any way to push it back to where it came from," Noel explains.

"I see. Lieutenant, can you tell me how the Hierarchical Cities are functioning without the use of seithr? Is everything going fine?" Jin asks. Seithr will be gone from the world for a few years due to the activation of the Lynchpin, and he's worried about how the different Cities are functioning without the use of seithr.

"Kokonoe's been giving all the cities power with electricity, but she doubts that it'll last long. She wants to gather the people who survived this whole ordeal into one area so she can conserve the power," Noel says.

"The fate of the world that relied too much on ars magus..." Jin shakes his head. He can't deny that he didn't think that this would be the outcome, but it was still nice to believe that everything was okay. This news crushed his dreams, however.

"We can't lose hope in a situation like this. There are peaceful days coming, but we just have to get through this one thing..." Noel says.

"You're right. I can't lose hope over one piece of bad news. Everything else is fine, so why not enjoy everything while it lasts?" Jin asks. "The Master Unit is still in the sky, but it's protected by the Tsukuyomi, something that no one can get past. There's only one thing that I still would like to know..."

"The whereabouts of Ragna the Bloodedge?" Noel asks.

"It seems like he's completely disappeared of the face of the Earth, taking Saya with him," Jin says. "I heard from Kagura that Kokonoe sent the Red Devil out to find him, but I don't think that he'll be finding Ragna any time soon. I can only hope that the two of them are okay."

"I hope so too..." Noel says. "He said to Kagura that he didn't want to work in the NOL, and he wanted to see the world with his 'newly opened eyes', but other than that, what we know about him is still a mystery. Saya wanted to go with him as well. So maybe the two of them will show up in a Hierarchical City randomly? They're going on a long journey, and I hope that they'll be okay..."

"No. 13 absorbed the remaining seithr in the world into her Azure Grimoire that Relius fitted onto her, as Nu tells me. Absolutely nothing is left. The Lynchpin is going to deactivate in one year's time, I hear. Other than that, there's nothing of importance to talk about," Jin says. "This world is far from perfect right now, but it's on its way to being the peace that I would want it to be."

"Well, we're already on the right track, Major," Noel nods her head, agreeing with what he said. A knock on the door interrupts Noel as she's about to continue talking, and she gets up to answer it.

Noel opens the door and in comes Nu, rushing into the room, yelling, "Jin!"

His eyes widen as the girl leaps over his desk and tackles him to the floor."N-Nu! What are you doing!? You can't just barge in here like that!"

"Oh, who gives a shit about regulation? I'm your sister and when I want to be with you I'm coming into your office. Whether you like it or not," Nu says. Jin pushes her off of him and sits back in his chair. Nu gives Noel a wave as she sits down on Jin's desk.

"You always sit in the weirdest places, Nu," Noel says. She remembers one time when Nu was sitting in the window in an awkward position, just staring at Jin.

"So, what are you in here for, other than to see me?" Jin asks. Nu looks at him with a mock offended look on her face.

"You think that I only come to see my brother when there's news!? I'm wounded! Truly, I am!" Nu throws her head back dramatically. "I just came to say hello, really. There's nothing that's going on around here... I'm soooo boooooored..."

"Why don't you go and see if you can go out with one of your friends, then?" Jin asks. "I can't accompany you because I'm too busy with this damned paperwork, but I'm sure that Noel wouldn't mind going out with you. Besides, she needs a break."

"M-Major!" Noel gasps out. It was unheard of for Jin Kisaragi to give his Lieutenant breaks. Then again, this isn't the same Jin Kisaragi that she once knew and she has to keep reminding herself of that.

Jin props up a brow at her sudden outburst and returns to his papers. "I want some alone time anyway."

Noel nods her head and gets out of her chair as Nu hops off of Jin's desk. The two girls walk out of his office, leaving him alone to his paperwork.

Jin smiles as he leans back in his chair, kicking his feet up on the desk. He's not actually going to do the paperwork until Noel comes back. He just wanted some time to rest and relax, and slack off like he used to in the old days.

As soon as he starts getting comfortable, however, someone slams the door open.

"Major!"

"I thought you knew better than to just barge into someone's room? But then again, you _are_ Makoto Nanaya..." Jin says.

Makoto shoots him a glare and puts her hands on her hips, saying, "And what is _that_ supposed to mean, Major? Oh, nevermind. There's no use in getting into an argument with you. You always find some way to win them..."

"So, what did you barge into my office for, Makoto?" Jin asks, glancing at the Susano'o Unit behind him. It's a bad habit of his to keep careful watch of the armor. He doesn't know why he does it, but he can't avoid it.

Makoto shrugs and walks over to the chair in front of his desk. She takes a seat and adjusts her tail to make it a little more comfortable to sit in. Afterwards, she kicks her legs onto his desk and leans back, much like Jin was doing before she came into the room. He gives her a questioning look but doesn't say anything about it.

"Nothing much, really. I just wanted to ask how it felt to be a Major again," Makoto says.

Jin facepalms, shaking his head. "You made me think that something was happening with the way that you came in the room... I'll say the same thing that I told Noel. It will take some getting used to. It's not like the old days where I had Tsubaki yelling at me every minute telling me that I was late for this appointment, or that I was late for handing in some papers."

"Oh, I see," Makoto nods her head in understanding. "Yeah, getting back into the groove here is pretty weird. Plus, Captain Hazama's gotten a lot nicer lately so it's not so discomforting."

"Terumi has gotten nicer? Hah, well it must be a cold day in Hell, then," Jin laughs to himself.

"He's gotten nicer, but he's still a sarcastic asshole," Makoto says. "I guess by nicer I really mean that he's not planning anything behind our backs and stuff like that. It's nice, you know? Not having to worry about much of anything, I mean."

"I see what you mean, Makoto. Yes, you're right. Though I do not know how long it will last, this peace is comforting," Jin says.

"Aww, don't be like that! Why not enjoy it to the fullest while it lasts and don't think about what's going to happen when it ends?" Makoto asks. "Well, that's not all that I came here to say. I was scouting out Kagutsuchi as Captain Hazama commanded me, and I found someone there..."

"Terumi told you to go search Kagutsuchi?" Jin asks. Makoto nods in response.

"Really, he's looking for Relius Clover to make sure that he's not trying any funny business, but I found a certain someone along the way..." Makoto says.

"Who?" Jin asks.

"Ragna the Bloodedge, and Saya along with him," Makoto says. "I didn't approach them or anything, but... they might still be there, and they might not be."

"Why are you telling me this? The whereabouts of my brother and sister are of no importance to me," Jin shakes his head.

"Major... Nu told me about how you feel regarding your sister... don't you wanna go and talk to her? It doesn't seem like the two of you had much time together before..." Makoto says, looking to the ground.

"Nonsense. I had more than enough time to make amends with her. I've already done that, however, with Nu. There's no need for me to speak to either of them further. Even if they are my brother and sister," Jin says.

"I-I see..." Makoto says. "Well, I'm gonna head out now. See ya later, Major!"

Makoto takes her legs off of the desk and stands up, turning around and walking out the door. Jin looks down at the papers in front of him on the desk and sighs loudly.

A very, very familiar situation was playing out right now. He doesn't know whether or not he should act upon it, though. He remembers what Tsubaki said to him before, when this happened the first time.

"You have more important things to do, Jin! You can't just go out like this now!" Jin repeats out loud. He grabs the pen on his desk and begins to write down that he's read the papers and understands what they mean.

He sits back in his chair and smiles at the nostalgia overflowing within him. He's a Major again, and his brother is in Kagutsuchi. He supposes that he's at the Gate right now too. If he and Saya have gone to see the world, then he won't bother them.

Jin looks back to papers on his desk, and out of the corner of his eye notices a piece of paper that he didn't notice there before.

"Did Lieutenant Vermilion leave this here? No, no, this wasn't here when she was in the room. Then that means Makoto left this here. I'd better go and find her to give it back. I don't know if this is important or not," Jin thinks out loud. He catches himself talking to himself, remembering how that used to be a bad habit of his.

He picks up the piece of paper and opens it up against his better judgement, curious as to see what's inside of it. There's only one thing on the paper. A simple sentence in handwriting that looks exactly like Nu and Noel's.

"I forgive you."

Jin doesn't know what to think in response to it. Down at the bottom of the slip of paper he can see a signature that said neither Nu or Noel, but Saya. Makoto had lied to him and talked to them, didn't she?

Makoto must have left the slip of paper there while she was leaving.

Without realizing it, Jin smiles. He stands up and walks to the large window that let him see outside and stared at the clear, blue sky above. Everything around him is changing.

He knows that she can't hear him, but Jin opens his mouth to speak anyway.

"Thank you, Saya," he says, wondering what his siblings are doing right now. He doubts that the two of them are still in Kagutsuchi. "This world is moving on, and here I am still worrying about the past... I suppose that's something that I'm going to have to get over soon."

Jin takes a look at the clock hanging above the door and realizes that he's going to be late for a very important appointment. He hurriedly takes the papers on his desk and shoves them into the drawer so Noel can't see that he hasn't done a thing since she left with Nu, and runs out the door.

He turns left and bumps into someone, falling to the floor. He looks up to see Hazama standing there.

"Terumi," Jin says. Hazama extends a hand towards Jin and helps him off the ground.

"What's the matter, Major Kisaragi? Not happy to see me?" Hazama asks.

"I've heard from Makoto that you've changed," Jin says.

Hazama sighs and takes his fedora off, putting it to his side. "Well, yeah, I guess the annoying squirrel is right. I didn't realize it until just recently, but... I defended the Master Unit Amaterasu back there. You do remember what I was trying to do, right?"

"Yes, you were trying to destroy it," Jin says.

"Yep, and to my utter disbelief I _protected_ it. I didn't realize it at first, but maybe I'm getting soft... I'm looking at things completely different now. Maybe there is a little bit of hope for this horrible world," Hazama says.

"I'm glad that you think that way, Terumi. However, I can't trust you as easily as Makoto or Noel can," Jin says, trying his best not to shoot Hazama a glare. Hazama nods his head in response, his smile getting wider.

"Yes yes, of course, Major," he says. "Now then, you should be going now, right? Don't wanna keep her waiting?"

Jin is taken aback at the fact that Hazama knows where he's going, but he remembers that Hazama is part of the Intelligence Department, so of course he would know everything going on in the NOL, whether it pertained to him or not. Tsubaki told Jin that he should come and see her after he's off duty so that they can spend some time together.

"Yes, I don't want to keep Tsubaki waiting," Jin says, walking past Hazama.

As Jin walks past him, he thinks about just how much he changed, too. He blames Nu for that, as she was the one who got him to be more sociable and considerate.

Jin goes outside the Librarium and is instantly hit by a cool breeze. He takes a look around for Tsubaki.

"Jin! Over here!" he hears her voice call out to him. He turns around to see Tsubaki standing with Noel, Nu, and Makoto, each with smiles on their faces. Jin looks confused as he walks over to the girls. He thought that it was just going to be him and Tsubaki?

"Tsubaki, what's going on?" he asks.

"Uhh... we're having a picnic? Duh," Makoto says.

Realization comes onto Jin as he figures out that Tsubaki didn't mean that the two of them were going to spend time together alone. He gets worried glances from the girls as he blankly stares at the picnic basket in Noel's hands, but he puts a smile on his face and joins them.

"It took you long enough, Jin," Nu says. "I was about to start eating without you!"

"Hmph," Jin scoffs. He turns his head away from Nu and she pouts at him.

"Aww c'mon! Don't be so cold!" Nu yells. Jin laughs as Nu runs up in front of him. He pats her on the head and sits down, and everyone begins eating.

* * *

As everyone is packing up, Jin clears his throat to get everyone's attention. When everyone's eyes are on him, he opens his mouth to speak.

"I will be taking a month away from here starting today," Jin says.

"A month!?" Noel asks, surprised. What about those papers that she handed to him? What about his duties?

"Yes, one month. I asked Kagura permission first and he said that it was fine if I left. I want to see the world that I fought so hard to save, much like how my brother is doing," Jin explains. "And... Tsubaki... I want to share this experience with you."

Tsubaki doesn't expect him to say that, and looks shocked. "Jin... you want me to travel the world with you?"

"Yes," Jin nods. His intense stare tells her that he's absolutely serious about his proposition. She looks down to the grass and starts thinking about whether she should go or not. On one hand, it would be a pleasant break from the Zero Squadron. Besides, there was no need for it anyway. She rarely ever goes out on a mission.

"I'll come with you, Jin," Tsubaki says, nodding her head.

"The rest of us will hold down the fort here, then. If it starts now, then have fun you two lovebirds!" Makoto laughs as she and Noel walk back into the Librarium.

"See you in a month, Major Kisaragi, Tsubaki!" Noel cries out as she walks into the door.

Jin smiles at Tsubaki as she walks over to him and grabs his hand. The two start walking away from the Librarium, but Jin abruptly stops. He turns his head around to see Nu staring at the ground, playing around with the grass.

"Aren't you coming along?" Jin asks.

"Huh...? I thought it was just going to be the both of you? Alone?" Nu asks.

"I can't go anywhere without my trusted partner now, can't I?" Jin asks. Nu beams and leaps up from the ground, running right up to Jin's side. The three start walking away, ready to see the world.

A genuine smile appears on Jin's face as he stares up into the sky. The peace he's yearned for ever since the defeat of the Black Beast is finally on its way.

* * *

 **I would just like to thank everyone who took the time to read this story, all those who followed, who put it in their favorites, and reviewed. Thank you.  
**


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